http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2326913
Climate Engineering Field Research: The Favorable Setting of International Environmental Law Jesse Reynolds Tilburg University - Department of European & International Public Law; Tilburg University - Tilburg Sustainability Center September 17, 2013 Forthcoming in Washington and Lee Journal of Energy, Climate, and the Environment, Vol. 5 No.2 (2014) Abstract: As forecasts for climate change and its impacts have become more negative, climate engineering proposals have come under increasing consideration and are presently moving toward field trials. This article examines the relevant international environmental law, distinguishing between climate engineering research and deployment. It also maintains an awareness of climate change itself and emphasizes the enabling function of law. It concludes that extant international environmental law generally favors such field tests. This is in large part because, even though field trials may present uncertain risks to the environment and human well-being, climate engineering may reduce the much greater risks of climate change. Notably, this favorable legal setting is present in those multilateral environmental agreements whose subject matter is closest to climate engineering. Secondary reasons are that several relevant agreements encourage scientific research and technological development, and that climate engineering research is consistent with principles of international environmental law such as precaution. Existing law imposes procedural duties on the states which are responsible for the field research, as well as a handful of particular prohibitions and constraints. Number of Pages in PDF File: 49 Keywords: climate change, climate engineering, geoengineering, international environmental lawAccepted Paper Series -- 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. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
