Climate Liberalism

“Political philosophies that put a lot of weight on freedom and property rights have a hard time grappling with the problem of pollution. How can we reconcile the inviolability of the individual with the ubiquity of negative externalities? The essays in this volume represent the most promising and sophisticated effort yet to come to grips with this problem. Climate Liberalism is essential reading on one of the most theoretically interesting and practically important issues of our time.” -- Matt Zwolinski, Professor of Philosophy, University of San Diego Author of The Individualists: Radicals, Reactionaries, and the Struggle for the Soul of Libertarianism “Climate Liberalism captures a valuable and overdue conversation about classical liberal thinking and the seemingly intractable problem of climate change. Much of what is written about domestic and international climate policy boils down to nihilist political considerations, and lacks any theoretical or deontological foundation. This volume is a vital step towards filling that void.” -- Shi-Ling Hsu D’Alemberte Professor, Florida State University College of Law Author of Capitalism and the Environment Climate Liberalism examines the potential and limitations of classical-liberal approaches to pollution control and climate change. Some successful environmental strategies, such as the use of catch-shares for fisheries, instream water rights, and tradable emission permits, draw heavily upon the classical liberal intellectual tradition and its emphasis on property rights and competitive markets. This intellectual tradition has been less helpful, to date, in the development or design of climate change policies. Climate Liberalism aims to help fill the gap in the academic literature examining the extent to which classical-liberal principles, including an emphasis on property rights, decentralizedauthority and dynamic markets, can inform the debate over climate-change policies. The contributors in this book approach the topic from a range of perspectives and represent multiple academic disciplines. Chapters consider the role of property rights and common-law legal systems in controlling pollution, the extent to which competitive markets backed by legal rules encourage risk minimization and adaptation, and how to identify the sorts of policy interventions that may help address climate change in ways that are consistent with liberal values. Jonathan H. Adler is the inaugural Johan Verheij Memorial Professor of Law and the founding Director of the Coleman P. Burke Center for Environmental Law at the Case Western Reserve University School of Law, where he teaches courses in environmental, administrative and constitutional law.