102 «So, let’s start by saying – Pirni proceeds – that at least two or three fundamental principles emerge, beckoning for clarification. The first one revolves around the idea of ensuring availability. It necessitates that we conceive a future where those who succeed us have access to, at the very least, the same amount of goods that our generation, during our time, has enjoyed and has been able to cultivate. The second principle delves into the concept of converting our actions into a form of waiver to the present, considering how to manage the present while being mindful not to exhaust all resources or to leave nothing for those who will come after us, even when they possess the means. Additionally, there is the need to create another level of goods: it is not sufficient merely to abstain from depleting existing resources; we must actively create a not-yet-existing with the intent of making it accessible to future generations. In summary, we must strive to maintain the levels of existing reservoirs, while also envisioning novel reservoirs and fresh resources that can and should be incorporated into those existing. From this standpoint, the game is exceedingly open-ended. It necessitates renewed dialogues, between new Norths and new Souths of the world, that is, between fresh interpretations of the concepts of the North and South of the earth. These are nothing but chapters within a prospective essay on the theory of international intergenerational justice, each chapter teeming with the vitality of an ongoing discourse in which we endeavor to actively partake. In short, to have our say». At this juncture we have to delve into the climate crisis, an issue that, following the digital revolution, has emerged as the most prominent “fact” of our age, the hyperobject of our era, in the words of another philosopher of the present the likes of Timothy Morton. «This, to me, represents the paramount, the most significant framework of applying the theoretical plexus I was just referring to. How does it intersect with climate? Climate is a fundamental point, because within it there are so many profiles to be considered. The initial and glaring facets, of course, and not as of today, are those that scientists, atmospheric physicists, geologists, astronomers, meteorologists have put before us. A compendium of scientifically undeniable data leaves us with a distinct impression that the situation is leaning in a specific direction. But there are several ethical-social aspects yet to be put to a common factor, underpinned by appropriate measures encompassing both regulatory, i.e. political, realms that can be translated into legal constraints». «Ethics, however, assumes a pivotal role from this perspective, because when we look at the world as a whole, we are faced with one part of it responsible of having produced what we now call climate change, aligned with the very segment that is experiencing its relatively minor consequences. In other words, a portion of the world has cultivated its way of life, its social systems, and, indeed, its legal systems in a notably ambitious manner, pursuing economic models and policies devoted to the consumption of substantial resources. Conversely, another segment of the world has significantly lagged behind in this developmental trajectory and is currently bearing the brunt of the climate crisis». «Consider the plight of small islands that are gradually sinking, compelled to confront ceaseless tsunamis, extreme climatic events, or territories rendered entirely arid, incapable of supporting any kind of agricultural crops or animal husbandry. These territories are home to tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even a few million people. When viewed through a diachronic lens, over the next ten to fifteen years, they will inevitably face the necessity of migration, searching for refuge in other parts of the world where they can live and foster a coexistence comparable to what they once enjoyed – or, naturally, to our own one. Those who endure the most profound repercussions of the climate crisis are those who did not engender it over the centuries and are currently suffering the first and foremost significant consequences in terms of the exploitation of territorial, environmental, and even agricultural resources, in all their myriad forms and species». Pirni's words resonate with clarity, steeped in academic rigor. Yet, they signify potent concepts, constituting an indictment, an acknowledgment of the manner in which we have structured the very conditions that have led me – I realise it as I watch from my laptop screen, standing surrounded by thousands of books and intellectual cuirasses disseminated in my living room – to be here, now, in this way. Me, and not others. Or rather: me as millions and millions of others. Once more, the spectre of Kafka – in whose tales, guilt is never in doubt – returns to loom over me. «From this juncture an option, an ethical option arises, dealing with fundamental elements, namely the need to prepare ourselves for an ecological transition that extends beyond the simple act of holding hands and walking a few extra hours, or using a bicycle instead of a motorbike, or opting for an electric car in lieu of a fossil fuel-powered one. Above all, we need to comprehend how to redistribute resources, giving rise to what is called energy justice: a continuous energy supply, for instance, to countries that presently lack access, conceiving the ecological transition not merely as a jaunt going from certain habits to some better ones; it should also be regarded as a chance of waiver. From this standpoint, intergenerational justice, justice between generations, must be able to make this new spectrum of issues approachable and to acquaint those who must relinquish something with the idea and the need of a renewed form of reciprocity, also and above all between different areas of our earth».
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