Many believe that individuals have a moral obligation to address threats posed by climate change by living in ways that are more environmentally sustainable. Because it increases greenhouse gas emissions, population growth is a major contributor to climate change. This raises questions about the ethics of procreation under current circumstances. Setting aside the possibility of legally regulating procreation--which would seriously infringe on individual rights and liberties--this panel considers the moral permissibility of having children.
Speakers
Dr. Trevor Hedberg
Trevor Hedberg is an Assistant Professor of Practice in the Honors College at the University of Arizona. He researches and teaches about issues in moral philosophy, particularly those in the areas of environmental ethics, bioethics, procreative ethics, and the intersections of these subfields. His most substantial work is The Environmental Impact of Overpopulation: The Ethics of Procreation (Routledge, 2020). His other published work in moral philosophy includes articles and book chapters on the moral status of animals, climate change, the ethics of lab-grown meat, and the ethics of marketing to vulnerable populations.
Dr. Mark Budolfson
Mark Budolfson is an Associate Professor at the Unviersity of Texas at Austin. He is dually appointed in the Department of Geography and the Environment and the Department of Philosophy. Budolfson works on topics in ethics, philosophy, politics, economics, health, and environment. His recent research concerns issues of population ethics, climate policy, and related issues of social justice.
Moderators
Laney King
Laney is a third-year student majoring in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics and Spanish with a minor in History. On campus, she is involved with the outreach team of TEDxOhioStateUniversity and works as the grants coordinator for Vocalize Interpreting. She is an Ohio State yoga instructor, teaching yoga to her fellow students at the RPAC. Laney also volunteers with the Legal Aid Society of Southeast and Central Ohio and recently spent the summer working in the district office of an Ohio congresswoman.
Jack Williams
Jack is a third year Morrill Scholar studying PPE (Philosophy, Politics, Economics), and Data Analytics in the university's honors program. He serves as member development chair for PPE society, and as the director of projects for the Buckeye Undergraduate Consulting Club (BUCC). Jack has worked as a policy analyst intern, and most recently interned in operations at Huntington National Bank.
This student-moderated discussion is part of CEHV's "Civil Discourse Forums" series. Forum topics are selected by our undergraduate Civil Discourse Fellows trained in the 4Cs of civil discourse (Be Curious, Be Charitable, Be Conscientious, Be Constructive). We are grateful to the Derrow Family Foundation for continuing support.
