It is suggested that the ethical notion of social contract can be formally modeled using the well-studied concept of the core of a game. This provides a mathematical technique for studying social contracts and theories of justice. The idea is applied to Rawlsian justice here.

The scientific and policy discussion about the CO2 problem can be divided into three different parts: (a) understanding the carbon cycle and climatic effects of CO2 elevation; (b) understanding the economic and social impacts of CO2 and estimating abatement strategies; and (c) weighing the costs...