‘It’s just a Band-Aid!’: Public engagement with geoengineering and the politics of the climate crisis

Geoengineering consists of a set of techniques whose aim is to avoid the disastrous consequences of global warming, such as solar radiation management and carbon dioxide removal. Due to its controversial nature, over the past decade various exercises of public participation with geoengineering have...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Public understanding of science (Bristol, England) England), 2022-10, Vol.31 (7), p.903-920
Main Authors: Carvalho, António, Riquito, Mariana
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide removal
Citizen participation
Climate change
College students
Crises
Environmentalists
Geoengineering
Global warming
Internet
Public participation
Radiation
Science
Solar radiation
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Summary:Geoengineering consists of a set of techniques whose aim is to avoid the disastrous consequences of global warming, such as solar radiation management and carbon dioxide removal. Due to its controversial nature, over the past decade various exercises of public participation with geoengineering have been put in place, particularly in the Global North. This article draws on empirical data stemming from six online focus groups on public engagement with geoengineering conducted in Portugal. In contrast to previous research, we included situated publics to emphasize the political implications of geoengineering, bringing to the debate those with a potential stake in the matter – environmentalists, activists, university students, science communicators and promoters of holistic practices. We suggest that the elusive and uncertain character of geoengineering moves the discussion away from its technological specificity, bringing to the fore some of the socio-political, economic and ethical tensions underpinning the climate crisis.
ISSN:0963-6625
1361-6609
DOI:10.1177/09636625221095353