Why Should I Be Good?

The question is at least as old as Socrates: if we know what the right thing to do is, why do we not do it? It's an especially acute question when applied to global warming. The science showing that carbon-dioxide emissions are already changing the planet's climate, and are likely to have severe effects (melting ice caps, sea-level rise, species extinction), is compelling and now barely disputed. Almost 90% of Europeans say they recognize climate change as a major issue, and 75% identify fossil-fuel emissions as a major cause.

And yet, as was widely discussed at a conference...