Ethical Maxims for a Marginally Inhabitable Planet

Bioethics has largely neglected the Anthropocene and its ethical challenges. This essay asks which ethical norms will serve us well in the face of the coming climate catastrophe. It sketches the climate changes likely for the year 2031 and offers six adaptive maxims, drawn from bioethics work in ICUs and hospices, to guide us through the devastation and transition following environmental and social collapse. These six maxims are: work hard to grasp the immensity of the change; cultivate radical hope; have a line in the sand; appreciate the astonishing opportunity of life at this time; train your body and mind; and act for the future generations of all species. Because we are already in an environmental collapse and the beginnings of social collapse, these maxims are relevant today as well as for the future.