numbers, not adjectives — D. J. C. MacKay
Equitable Atmosphere Declaration
Carl Edward Rasmussen, June 19 2025
Equitable Atmosphere Declaration
We, the undersigned, believe that
- the rights and responsibilities to our shared atmosphere lie equally with all humans,
- failure to explicitly value atmospheric resources leads to overexploitation through accumulation of greenhouse gases; this failure is one of the root causes of climate change.
Therefore, to limit climate change, greenhouse gas emissions should be priced. Larger than average per capita emitters should pay for using more than their fair share, and lower than average per capita emitters should be net beneficiaries, reflecting equity. Pricing emissions will create economic pressure on everyone to reduce emissions.
Note, that the declaration isn’t proposing national carbon fee and dividend because its scope is global. It doesn’t include details of implementation; one possible option is the Themis Mechanism.
To sign: email me at cer54 at cam.ac.uk with your details (I won’t publish your email address).
| name | role | location |
|---|---|---|
| Paul Aston | horticulturist, artist | Cambridge Botanic Garden |
| John Bronskill | Research Associate | University of Cambridge |
| Hong Ge | Senior Researcher | University of Cambridge |
| Isobel Henry | student | University of Strathclyde, Glasgow |
| José Miguel Hernández Lobato | father, professor | Cambridge University |
| Ezra Heydtmann | student | University of Strathclyde, Glasgow |
| Carl Edward Rasmussen | father, professor | Cambridge University |
| Geoff Stead | tech leader, father | Cambridge, UK |
| Richard E Turner | father, professor | Cambridge University |
| Ave Wrigley | father, retired CTO | Cambridge, UK |