Human Rights, Environmentalism, and Global Climate Change

One way to analyze the political spectrum, normally thought of as “conservative to liberal” or “right to left,” is to look at our conception of human rights, i.e., what we believe to be the set of basic and inalienable rights that should be given to all people, merely by virtue of their being born into this world and living in the 21st Century.

In the parts of the planet where it is possible, I think most people would say that all people, regardless of their ability to pay for it, ought to receive a certain level of nutrition, clean air and water, and protection from criminals.  But what about education?  A job? Health care? A safe, warm place to live?

And what are the rights of the as-yet-unborn?  Of course, this gets into our responsibilities to leave behind a habitable planet with a sea level that isn’t steadily rising due to global warming.

Though I would probably vote for a broader list than some people, I can see where the debate on this might be very interesting.  Former Nestlé CEO Peter Brabeck shocked the civilized world a month or so back when he argued that water is food that should be privatized, and that it is not a human right.  Here’s a very smart guy taking a position on the subject that I would (generously) describe as “fringe.”  That’s a level of callous thinking that, fortunately, doesn’t wash with most people born with a conscience.