CFP: Risk, Uncertainty and Catastrophe Scenarios

Call for Papers and Responders: Risk, Uncertainty and Catastrophe Scenarios – Workshop on Climate Ethics and Climate Economics
May 9th & 10th, University of Cambridge

Scholars have warned that there is an uncertain chance of runaway climate change that could devastate the planet. At least since Hans Jonas’s The Imperative of Responsibility, some have argued that even low-probability existential risks should be treated in a fundamentally different way. How should we act when we believe that there is a chance of a catastrophe, but cannot make reliable probability estimates? How much should we worry about worst-case scenarios? What should we do when experts disagree about whether catastrophe is possible?

These are some of the questions we will be posing at the fifth of six ESRC-funded workshops exploring issues where the ethics and economics of climate change intersect. It will be held at the University of Cambridge’s Centre for the Study of Existential Risk.
 
We are seeking both paper givers and discussants from philosophy, economics and other disciplines. Funds are available to cover accommodation and internal travel expenses for up to three research students and early-career researchers. Papers, where available, will be circulated before the workshop.

Those wishing to present a paper should submit a 500-word abstract by 24thMarch to Simon Beard ([email protected]). Anyone interested in serving as a discussant should send an expression of interest by the same date. If applying for funding, please indicate that you are a student, or the year that you received the PhD.