Concept information
Preferred term
intergenerational justice
Definition
- Intergenerational justice refers to the need for a just distribution of rewards and burdens between generations and fair and impartial treatment toward future generations. Edith Brown Weiss identifies the following categories of activities as likely to undermine intergenerational justice: Wastes whose impacts cannot be confidently contained either spatially or over time Damage to soils such that they are incapable of supporting plant or animal life Tropical forest destruction sufficient to diminish significantly the overall diversity of species in the region and the sustainability of soils Air pollution or land transformations that induce significant climate change on a large scale Destruction of knowledge essential to understanding natural and social systems, such as residence decay times of nuclear wastes Destruction of cultural monuments that countries have acknowledged to be part of the common heritage of humankind Destruction of specific endowments established by the present generation for the benefit of future generations, such as libraries and gene banks Unless substantial change occurs, the present generation is unlikely to pass on a healthy and diverse environment to future generations because of environmental problems, including loss of species, decline in arable land, tropical forests and water quality, and global warming. [Source: Green Issues and Debates: An A-to-Z Guide; Intergenerational Justice]
Broader concept
Belongs to group
URI
https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/intergenerational_justice
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