The ethical issue of climate change is how we should respond on a global, national, and personal level. For example, there is a rise in global temperature which can lead to the melting of polar ice caps. This will that result to a rise at sea level and it will also speed up the process of evaporation and cause more rainfall, the issue here is how can it be slowed down?.
A problem with using a deontological approach to climate change is that it focuses on duty and moral rules to make moral decisions. This is however difficult to apply universal laws globally to the population to decrease climate change. For example, banning cars globally to reduce co2 in the atmosphere would not be practical because many people have a NIMBY approach.
A problem with using a teleological approach to climate change is that it focuses specifically on consequence, and doesn't consider the minority and therefore the poor would suffer first. 'The greatest good for the greatest number of people '. Situation ethics teaches to 'love your neighbor as yourself', but who is your neighbor? For example; could your neighbor be the planet? And we show stewardship by caring and preventing climate change?.
Virtue theory is principally concerned with the idea of the human character and asks how you can be a better person and is interested in defining good people and the qualities that make them good. However, virtues are acquired through practice and experience, and also change over time. For example; awareness of how we use energy/ travel etc. Philippa Foot states that 'virtues are beneficial characteristics and things that all human beings need to have. Just as people need strength and health, but there are excellences of the will.' McIntyre agrees that a virtue approach to ethics is the best action.
