Climate Change & Calculating Risk
Overview
This assignment uses the tools of probability theory to introduce students to risk weighted expected utility models of decision making. The risk weighted expected utility framework is then used to understand decision-making under uncertainty in the context of climate change. Which of the IPCC’s forecasts should we use? Do we owe it to future people to adopt a conservative risk profile when making decisions on their behalf? The assignment also introduces normative principles for allocating responsibility for addressing climate change. Students apply these formal tools and frameworks to understanding the ethical dimensions of climate change.
Contributors
- Ethics materials by Kathleen Creel
- Problem Set by Chris Piech, Jerry Cain, Kathleen Creel, and Tim Gianitsos
Assignment goals
- Applying probabilistic reasoning to scenarios involving climate change.
Ethics goals
- Understanding and comparing principles for making decisions under uncertainty.
- Learning normative principles for allocating responsibility.
- Applying decision-making and responsibility allocation frameworks in the context of climate risks and the apportionment of responsibility for climate change.
Download Links
- Problem Set or Exam Questions (pdf or tex)
- Ethics Slides on Calculating Climate Risks (pptx)
- Explainer Handout