No! Political extremes be it from the left i.e. socialism etc. or the right i.e. T parties etc. do not present viable alternatives to geoengineering.
In fact they seem to be opposite sides of the same ideological coin.
By opposing research into geoengineering, which could shed
light into the effects of fossil fuel aerosols emissions, the extreme left perpetuates
the ignorance providing cover for the same fossil fuels they claim to loath. Another dynamic of the purported opposition to
geoengineering by the extreme left is how abhorrent their underlying philosophies
are, to the point of almost making the unpalatable prospect of geoengineering
sufferable.
The extreme right does pretty much the same with its
deniability of anthropogenic climate change, even opposing scientific endeavors
that would shed light on the matter, helping the polluting industries avoid responsibilities, and in the process displaying a philosophical ‘irrational
egoism’ destructive even to their own populations.
Others, perhaps feeling helpless, witnessing this well-rehearsed
dance, are throwing up their hands in despair. This is also not the answer, and may in fact
complement the inaction synthetized by the extreme left-right dialectic.
So what is the answer?
Openness, vulnerability and accountability…?
I do not know.
But I think that knowledge, scientific knowledge, and open genuine
debate based on facts, without hysterics, could put us on the path to finding the right answers.
Here I leave your with an interesting fictional video by the University of Bergen and The 7th Framework Programme.
It is part of a website by Paula Curvelo as a PhD project titled The Geoengineering Debate Website.
"Launched in December 2012 and was designed to promote a space for reflection and debate on the social and ethical implications of geoengineering".
Link to The Geoengineering Debate Website
About the author of the page.
Paula Curvelo is a PhD candidate in environmental philosophy
at the University of Lisbon, Portugal.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography (University of
Lisbon, UL), a postgraduate diploma in Urban Sociology (Instituto Universitário
de Lisboa, ISCTE-IUL), and a MSc degree in Geographic Information Systems and
Science (New University of Lisbon - ISEGI-NOVA).
Her current research interests include the ethical, legal
and social aspects of geoengineering, the governance of emerging technologies,
the politics of risk and uncertainty, and the philosophy of technology.
Paula's articles on Geoengineering
Curvelo, Paula (2015)
Geoengineering dreams in Science, Philosophy and Sustainability - The
End of the Cartesian dream. Edited by Ângela Guimarães Pereira and Silvio
Funtowicz. Routledge, pp. 114-131
Curvelo, Paula (2013) Imag[in]ing geoengineering – the
plausible and the implausible, Int. J. Foresight and Innovation Policy, Vol. 9,
Nos. 2/3/4, pp.162–187.
Curvelo, Paula (2013) Towards an Analytical Framework for
Evaluating the Ethical Dimensions of Geoengineering Proposals. The
International Journal of Climate Change: Impacts and Responses, volume 4, Issue
4, pp. 191-208
Curvelo, Paula and Pereira, Ângela G. (2013) Geoengineering:
reflections on current debates. The International Journal of Science in
Society, Volume 4, Issue 3, pp. 1-21.
Curvelo, Paula (2013) Questioning the Geoengineering
Scientific Worldview. The International Journal of Interdisciplinary
Environmental Studies no. 7 (1):35-53.
Curvelo, Paula (2012) - Exploring the Ethics of
Geoengineering through Images. The International Journal of The Image, Volume
2, Issue 2, pp.177-198.
Update July 2, 2015
Interesting article:
STRANGE BEDFELLOWS: CLIMATE ENGINEERING POLITICS IN THE UNITED STATES (OPINION ARTICLE)
Update July 2, 2015
Interesting article:
STRANGE BEDFELLOWS: CLIMATE ENGINEERING POLITICS IN THE UNITED STATES (OPINION ARTICLE)
Nicholson and Thompson (2015) April 21, 2015 - for GEOENGINEERING OUR CLIMATE?
A Working Paper Series on the Ethics, Politics and Governance of Climate Engineering
A Working Paper Series on the Ethics, Politics and Governance of Climate Engineering
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