Non-ideal climate justice

Based on three recently published books on climate justice, this article reviews the field of climate ethics in light of developments of international climate politics. The central problem addressed is how idealised normative theories can be relevant to the political process of negotiating a just distribution of the costs and benefits of mitigating climate change. I distinguish three possible responses, that is, three kinds of non-ideal theories of climate justice: focused on (1) the injustice of some agents not doing their part; (2) the policy process and aiming to be realistic; and (3) grievances related to the transition to a clean-energy economy. The methodological discussion underpinning each response is innovative and should be of interest more generally, even though it is still underdeveloped. The practical upshot, however, is unclear: even non-ideal climate justice may be too disconnected from the fast-moving and messy climate circus

Climate Rights : Feasible or Not?

Scholars have argued that we have compelling reasons to combat climate change because it threatens human rights, referred to here as ‘climate rights’. The prospects of climate rights are analysed assuming two basic desiderata: its accuracy in capturing the normative dimension of climate change (reasons to prevent/mitigate/adapt to climate change); and its ability to generate political measures. In order for climate rights to meet these desiderata certain conditions must be satisfied: important human interests are put at risk by global climate change; there is an identified rights-holder and obligation-bearer; this relationship is codified in a legitimate formal structure; it is feasible to claim the rights; an ‘enforcement mechanism’ (not necessarily of legal character) could strengthen compliance. When asserting climate rights it is insufficient to consider the moral ground or actual enforcement possibilities by themselves. Normative and practical aspects are closely interlinked and must be studied in tandem

Colonic Mucosal Fatty Acid Synthase as an Early Biomarker for Colorectal Neoplasia: Modulation by Obesity and Gender

BACKGROUND: We have previously reported that colonic peri-cryptal microvascular blood flow is augmented in the premalignant colonic epithelium, highlighting the increased metabolic demand of the proliferative epithelium as a marker of field carcinogenesis. However, its molecular basis is unexplored. In this study, we assessed the expression of a regulator of the “lipogenic switch”, fatty acid synthase (FASN), in early colon carcinogenesis for its potential biomarker utility for concurrent neoplasia. METHODS: FASN expression (IHC) in the colonic epithelium from azoxymethane and Pirc rat models of CRC was studied. FASN mRNA expression from endoscopically normal rectal mucosa was evaluated and correlated with colonoscopic findings (pathological confirmation of neoplasia). RESULTS: FASN expression progressively increased from premalignant to malignant stage in the azoxymethane-model (1.9 to 2.5 fold; p<0.0001) and was also higher in the adenomas compared to adjacent uninvolved mucosa (1.8 to 3.4 fold; p<0.001) in the pirc-model. Furthermore, FASN was significantly overexpressed in rectal biopsies from patients harboring adenomas compared to those with no adenomas. These effects were accentuated in male (~2 fold) and obese patients (1.4 fold compared to those with BMI <30). Overall, the performance of rectal FASN was excellent (AUROC of 0.81). CONCLUSIONS: FASN is altered in the premalignant colonic mucosa and may serve as a marker for colonic neoplasia present elsewhere. The enhanced effects in men and obesity may have implications for identifying patient subgroups at risk for early onset neoplasia. IMPACT: These findings support the role of rectal FASN expression as a reliable biomarker of colonic neoplasia