Earth Stewardship, Climate Change, and Low Carbon Consciousness: Refl ections from Brazil and South America - Earth Stewardship: Linking Ecology and Ethics in Theory and Practice - page 360

Germany, Nordic countries, China, Japan, South Korea -, but they now face
problems related to an ageing population (Timonen 2008 ). Therefore, responsible
fertility rates need to be coupled with dramatic changes in lifestyles and health
systems, which need to be based in the concept of healthy and responsible longevity.
Furthermore, pension schemes must be reformulated to match the increase in life
expectation: gradual change from full employment to full retirement, increased age
for retirement, and abolition of the earlier retirement for women in countries where
this difference exists (Holzmann and Hinz 2005 ).
Third, change towards post-sovereignty is required. Sovereignty should be
adapted to contemporary requirements, in two different levels. First, at the level of
the States: sovereignty should no longer be defi ned as a static defense against
foreign infl uence over domestic issues, but instead as an entitlement that enables
participation in a pluralistic dialogue to fi nd solutions to global concerns. Second,
at the level of the individual: nationality should be seen as one of many features of
a person, and not as a dividing line that determines who is entitled to the resources
of the planet.
Finally, change from short-term to long-term to decision-making is imperative.
Long-term considerations favor a holistic approach to decisions, once links between
different issue areas are understood and measured against each other. This approach
enables integration, seeing the whole picture before the decision is made: it is not
about exchanging living in the present for living towards the future, but acknowl-
edging the cause-and-consequence links of different decisions, not only to one's
own life but to the life of the community. When decisions are better informed, they
lead to more long-term and satisfying results.
Climate change is just one issue challenging effective international policy-
making; keeping humanity from trespassing other planetary boundaries requires
deeper changes, embedded in a new planetary ethics in which every human being
becomes an Earth steward. The challenge is great, but can be faced. Analyzing the
several stumbling blocks is the fi rst step towards meeting it. In the next two sections,
South American and Brazilian struggles towards successfully adopting a low carbon
consciousness - one that mitigates climate change - will be analyzed, so that, in the
last section, the links to a wider Earth Stewardship concept can be established.

24.3 Climate Change and Low Carbon Consciousness

in South America

South American countries share features that are relevant to climate change and the
transition to low carbon development. First, the continent is signifi cantly vulnerable
to climate change: (i) semi-arid areas, such as the Brazilian north-eastern region,
would become more arid; (ii) low costal and densely populated areas, such as the
city of Recife and delta regions like the Plate and Orinoco rivers, are extremely
vulnerable to changes in sea levels; (iii) glacial retreat in the Andes threaten the