It is interesting, or maybe disappointing, how those in social sciences (well, those involved in setting up this conference) are focusing more and more attention on climate engineering when the real problem, we generally all agree, is the climate change being caused by ongoing GHG emissions, so the most important topic of all for social scientists would seem to be the reasons for the failure of nations to take heed. For all the discussion of climate engineering being possibly a diversion from mitigation, it thus seems a bit odd that it is social scientists who seem to be diverting their attention so readily from the top of what would seem to be an agreed upon priority list starting with efficiency, direct mitigation (of long and short-lived gases), adaptation, various approaches to carbon removal, and finally, in a desperate attempt to alleviate suffering, some forms of SRM. Yes, SRM is sort of getting on the total list, but this is because of the problems of doing everything else higher on the list, and I hope that would be part of the discussion‹why is it that SRM is having to be considered? How did we really get in this predicament, and what are the other ways out of it?
Mike MacCracken On 5/20/13 11:29 AM, "Andrew Lockley" <[email protected]> wrote: > http://www.iass-potsdam.de/node/184/news/climate-engineering-ethical-challenge > s-and-governance > > Climate Engineering Ethical Challenges and Governance > > In the course of a three day conference on ³The Ethical Challenges of Climate > Engineering² from 22nd to 24th of May 2013 hold by the Institute for Advanced > Sustainability Studies, there will also be the possibility to discuss > challenges and problems of the governance of CE research as well as possible > deployments from different parts of the world (e.g. Europe, USA, Australia, > Asia) with leading experts in normative theory, environmental ethics and > philosophy will answer your questions. The public round table > discussion on ³Climate Engineering Governance Different perspectives from > Around the World² will take place on May 23rd, 2013 from 6:30 pm to 8 pm.The > goal of the conference on challenges for ethics induced by Climate > Engineering, however, is not to evaluate CE from a particular normative > perspective, but rather to identify important challenges put forward by CE, > and to search for ways to best deal with these challenges:How applicable are > our normative theories for problems raised by CE, e.g. uncertainties, complex > processes and large scale and long lasting effects?What do different normative > approaches bring to bear on the various ethical aspects of CE and for which do > we lack plausible normative analyses?The conference doesn¹t want to provide a > solution but rather focus on clarifying the agenda for future research in > climate ethics with respect to CE. Doing so, we hope to help to bundle future > research on normative aspects of CE and to create a network of researchers > dedicated to this task.For decades Climate Engineering the planetary-scale > engineering of the climate aimed at intentionally counteracting the undesired > side effects (global warming) of other human activities (emitting greenhouse > gas (GHG) emissions) has failed to gain traction in the mainstream > scientific community. But with little progress on climate change policy and > growing global GHG emissions, Climate Engineering is increasingly being > considered in scientific and political circles around the world. For many > Climate Engineering signals special issues of governance and political > legitimacy, prompting the need for new or strengthened global norms of justice > and community, and novel institution. For others talk about these issues is > futile at the current state of affairs and the related uncertainties.The > background of the conference is the interdisciplinary research microcosm of > the IASS cluster Sustainable Interactions with the Atmosphere (SIWA) which is > investigating the impacts, uncertainties and risks of CE, and the EU > project European Transdisciplinary Assessment of Climate Engineering > (EuTRACE), which is coordinated by the IASS.We welcome anybody who is > interested in taking part in the public discussion as well as media > representatives. Please register for organizational reasons > with [email protected] . The round table discussion will be in > English. Public Round Table Discussion³Climate Engineering Governance > Different Perspectives from Around the World² > > 23rd May, 2013 | 6.30 - 8 pm > Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies | Berliner Straße 130 | 14467 > Potsdam -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "geoengineering" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/geoengineering?hl=en. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
