The need of an ethics of planetary sustainability
16 January 2018
Last update: 18/11/19 10:55
In this blog post Andreas Losch discusses his recent review article in the International Journal of Astrobiology, The need of an ethics of planetary sustainability
How long will humankind survive? Besides the fact that we have been able to eliminate ourselves with nuclear weapons for decades, even without a third world war, the challenge to take care of the resources of our planet remains; we need to use them in a way that our children and their children can have a place on Earth as well.
The principle of ‘sustainability’ is needed to steer our economic development towards renewable resources and energy. It serves the future to fulfill our needs only in a way that does not endanger the needs of future generations. In 2015, the UN decreed 17 sustainable development goals, from fighting poverty and hunger to a framework of peace and justice. Life underwater and life on land are considered, and so is climate action as well. I believe this has, however, overlooked one area. There is something more, which plays a role for the human development on Earth and beyond. I call for Our Space Environment as the 18th sustainable development goal.
Satellites help to localize places on Earth, yet what do we do with them when they are out of their service? The amount of space debris is already starting to endanger new space projects. There are commercial enterprises which allow you to pay to fly into space or bury your remains on the Moon. The US and Luxembourg have decreed laws to enable asteroid mining. Space has become an economic space, named “Space 4.0“ by the ESA. On the Moon, one does want to act together with entrepreneurs. When there is a space economy evolving, which rules are to be applied on it? Don’t we need ethical principles here as guiding lines?
One distant day, Earth itself will become too hot, when the Sun starts to grow. If we are not exterminated by an asteroid beforehand, the question remains: don’t we have to reach for the stars, at least, to survive? Don’t we need a very long sustainable development – which can only be guaranteed by a sustainable economy? A call back to nature as “back into our caves” doesn’t help. An ethics of planetary sustainability must balance progress with responsibility and calls for green technology.
Andreas Losch, Faculty of Theology, University of Bern
We want to expand the project! please visit: www.saveourplanet.info
More from Andreas Losch:
- Kant’s wager. Kant’s strong belief in extra-terrestrial life, the history of this question and its challenge for theology today, International Journal of Astrobiology Vol 15, Issue 4, 2016
- What is Life? On Earth and Beyond, Cambridge University Press, 2017
Comments
Leave a reply
Related Posts
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons one year on: Reflections from Hiroshima
September 20, 2018 marked one year since the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was declared open for signature. Its adoption confirmed that a clear majority of States unequivocally reject nuclear weapons on moral, humanitarian and now legal grounds. I’d like to take the opportunity of the anniversary to reflect on my recent visit to Hiroshima […]
The principle of non-refoulement in the migration context: 5 key points
The current discussions on the Global Compact for Migration and the Global Compact on Refugees have placed migration and refugee policies high on the multilateral agenda. From a humanitarian point of view, this is important and timely. It is essential that the international community recognizes and addresses the humanitarian assistance and protection needs of refugees and vulnerable migrants. Among […]
War in cities: How to treat the disease without killing the patient?
Fighting in cities today causes immense suffering, massive displacement and enormous reconstruction costs. How can devastation on this scale be avoided in the future? Drawing on the recent issue of the Review and ongoing ICRC’s Conference Cycle on War in Cities, the author suggests that armed actors should learn from past and present battles in cities. He presents […]
Leveraging towards restraint: Nuclear hedging and North Korea
Referencing their article in Volume 5, Number 1 of the European Journal of International Security, Soul Park and Kimberly Peh explore the nuances of North Korea’s nuclear diplomacy. Relatively few states have attempted, much less succeeded, to develop nuclear weapons in the post-Cold War era. Despite its rarity, nuclear proliferation has garnered heightened interest from […]
;
After this proposal, several organizations have voiced a similar call. The National Space Society proposed an SDG18 Space Economy April 2018 to UNOOSA. A group of college graduates launched a petition for an SDG18 “Life in Space”, and after being part of the UN75 dialogue, changing it to “Space for All”. In Spain, a SDG18 “Sky quality and access to starlight” has been promoted in 2021.
All these initatives show the importance of such a goal related to space and how much space is yet missing in the earthbound sustainability discussions.