Exporting Harm: Mining and Morality

Dr Jeremy Moss (University of Melbourne)

Title: Exporting Harm: Mining and Morality
Abstract: This paper will explore two arguments for why restrictions ought to be placed on the ability of countries to extract and export fossil fuels. I will argue that insofar as a country knowingly exports commodities that clearly cause harm (for example CO2 producing commodities such as coal), then the exporting countries should count at least a part of their export emissions in their “carbon budgets”. Further,that such exports generate obligations for countries to rectify any harms caused, to cease the practice altogether or to develop alternatives if the exports are for crucial purposes. The paper will consider several dimensions of the harm caused by unrestricted fossil fuel exports. First, what kind of harm is caused by such exports? Second, whether analogies exist between other harmful exports – medical waste, tobacco, unsafe jobs, uranium – and fossil fuels to examine how the kind of harm caused by global warming is different from standard cases of harm where only two parties are involved. Third, whether unrestricted export of fossil fuel exports satisfy a “fair shares” criterion.