As part of its annual meeting, held in Stadskasteel Oudaen, Oudegracht 99, Utrecht, Pugwash Netherlands organises a lecture on Governing Geoengineering that is open to all those who are interested (please contact arthur.petersen@vu.nl). The lecture will start at 18:45 and the subsequent discussion will last until 20:30.
Governing Geoengineering: From Lab Research to the Real (Geopolitical) World
Speaker: Dr Jason Blackstock, deputy director of the Centre for Engineering Policy, University College London
Abstract
As geoengineering research expands, so to are the geopolitical implications. From private and public research funds and experiments, to studies and decisions by international bodies, each action being taken by the small number of scientific and policy entrepreneurs (proponents and opponents alike) currently engaged in the geoengineering conversation is influencing how geoengineering technologies are evolving to influence our future. The impacts of these actions — no matter how scientifically focused or grounded — are not simply technological, but also highly political. In particular, many actions are now shaping how global publics and policymakers might consider geoengineering in the context of a broad array of other policy concerns dominant in their own perspectives — examples include food security, energy accessibility, available development pathways, biodiversity preservation, regional/international security, and so on.
This talk gives an overview of the recent history and current affairs of the increasingly global conversation about geoengineering, and highlight questions about the roles — and potentially responsibilities — of scientists and engineers engaging in (or considering engaging in) this conversation.