Rock Ethics Institute2019-09-252019-09-252010-09-122007-11http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12424/175500"On 2 February 2007 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its "Summary for Policymakers" as part of the IPCC Working Group I Fourth Assessment Report (AR4).1 This report describes progress in understanding the human drivers of global climate change, observed climate change, and estimates of future climate change. The AR4 differs from prior IPCC assessments insofar as there is greater scientific confidence concerning estimates of climate sensitivity, earth–atmosphere warming, sea level increase, and human attribution to climate change. The type of information used in making decisions about climate change has ethical implications because it influences decisions on whether and/or how humans take action to mitigate and adapt to climate change and because the decisions obviously affect human and environmental welfare for both present and future generations.2 Following, we describe the mission of the IPCC, some of the contents of the AR4 and their implications, and the potential use of the precautionary principle in climate change assessments." (p. 1).engWith permission of the license/copyright holderclimate changeclimate ethicsscientific ethicsPolitical ethicsEnvironmental ethicsEthics of political systemsResources ethicsPreprint