Why Solar Radiation Management Geoengineering and Democracy Won't Mix

Bronislaw Szerszynski; Matthew Kearnes; Phil Macnaghten; Richard Owen; Jack Stilgoe

doi:10.1068/a45649

Why Solar Radiation Management Geoengineering and Democracy Won't Mix

Bronislaw Szerszynski, Matthew Kearnes, Phil Macnaghten, Richard Owen, Jack Stilgoe

School of Management - Business School

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

114 Citations (Scopus)

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Abstract

In this paper we argue that recent policy treatments of solar radiation management (SRM) have insufficiently addressed its potential implications for contemporary political systems. Exploring the emerging ‘social constitution’ of SRM, we outline four reasons why this is likely to pose immense challenges to liberal democratic politics: that the unequal distribution of and uncertainties about SRM impacts will cause conflicts within existing institutions; that SRM will act at the planetary level and necessitate autocratic governance; that the motivations for SRM will always be plural and unstable; and that SRM will become conditioned by economic forces.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	2809-2816
Number of pages	8
Journal	Environment and Planning A
Volume	45
Issue number	12
Early online date	1 Dec 2013
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1068/a45649
Publication status	Published - 1 Dec 2013

Keywords

solar radiation management
geoengineering
governance
politics
democracy
social constitution of technology

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title = "Why Solar Radiation Management Geoengineering and Democracy Won't Mix",

abstract = "In this paper we argue that recent policy treatments of solar radiation management (SRM) have insufficiently addressed its potential implications for contemporary political systems. Exploring the emerging {\textquoteleft}social constitution{\textquoteright} of SRM, we outline four reasons why this is likely to pose immense challenges to liberal democratic politics: that the unequal distribution of and uncertainties about SRM impacts will cause conflicts within existing institutions; that SRM will act at the planetary level and necessitate autocratic governance; that the motivations for SRM will always be plural and unstable; and that SRM will become conditioned by economic forces.",

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T1 - Why Solar Radiation Management Geoengineering and Democracy Won't Mix

AU - Szerszynski, Bronislaw

AU - Kearnes, Matthew

AU - Macnaghten, Phil

AU - Owen, Richard

AU - Stilgoe, Jack

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N2 - In this paper we argue that recent policy treatments of solar radiation management (SRM) have insufficiently addressed its potential implications for contemporary political systems. Exploring the emerging ‘social constitution’ of SRM, we outline four reasons why this is likely to pose immense challenges to liberal democratic politics: that the unequal distribution of and uncertainties about SRM impacts will cause conflicts within existing institutions; that SRM will act at the planetary level and necessitate autocratic governance; that the motivations for SRM will always be plural and unstable; and that SRM will become conditioned by economic forces.

AB - In this paper we argue that recent policy treatments of solar radiation management (SRM) have insufficiently addressed its potential implications for contemporary political systems. Exploring the emerging ‘social constitution’ of SRM, we outline four reasons why this is likely to pose immense challenges to liberal democratic politics: that the unequal distribution of and uncertainties about SRM impacts will cause conflicts within existing institutions; that SRM will act at the planetary level and necessitate autocratic governance; that the motivations for SRM will always be plural and unstable; and that SRM will become conditioned by economic forces.

KW - solar radiation management

KW - geoengineering

KW - governance

KW - politics

KW - democracy

KW - social constitution of technology

U2 - 10.1068/a45649

DO - 10.1068/a45649

M3 - Article (Academic Journal)

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EP - 2816

JO - Environment and Planning A

JF - Environment and Planning A

IS - 12

ER -

Why Solar Radiation Management Geoengineering and Democracy Won't Mix

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