Deliberation and Responsible Innovation: A Geoengineering Case Study

Geoengineering has been defined as the “deliberate large-scale manipulation of the planetary environment to counteract anthropogenic climate change” (Royal Society, 2009, p. 1). The diverse range of putative technologies that have been proposed for manipulating the climate in response to anthropogenic activity are currently subject to a great deal of scientific uncertainty, with the risks and benefits poorly understood. But beyond the considerable scientific uncertainties around geoengineering technologies, the very concept of intentionally manipulating the Earth’s climate system raises a range of social and ethical issues that include acceptability, informed consent, and governance (Corner and Pidgeon, 2010). Indeed the UK’s Royal Society states that any geoengineering research that may impact on the environment, or any moves toward deployment of geoengineering measures should not proceed without dialogue between, for example, policy-makers, scientists, and publics (Royal Society, 2009). While scientists may be able to outline the range of options for geoengineering, it is ultimately society which must judge their acceptability (Royal Society, 2009; Corner and Pidgeon, 2010). This in turn raises questions over how we can best meaningfully engage with such diverse actors, and how such engagement can contribute to the responsible innovation of these potentially world-changing technologies.