A presentation by Joanne Yao (Associate Professor in International Relations at Queen Mary, University of London) and Danielle Young (Assistant Professor in Politics and International Relations at the University of Leeds). This event is part of the Sustainability Colloquium hosted by the Centre for Sustainability.
Addressing climate change will be one of the most pressing global challenges of the 21st century. However, since its creation in 1992, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has made slow progress in helping the world reduce carbon emission. This presentation focuses on growing interest in scientific and political forums on the development and use of solar geoengineering as another tool to lower global temperatures. In particular, we will discuss stratospheric aerosol injections (SAI) in which sulphur dioxide or other reflective participles are sprayed in the stratosphere to partially block out incoming solar radiation and temporarily cool global temperatures.
First, the presentation will highlight SAI’s potential and risks as narrated by its proponents and critics. Then, we will focus on how rising geopolitical tensions and militarism around the world might inform and complicate the governance and deployment of such a technology — using the Arctic as an illustrative example. Finally, we introduce our research project and the use of non-ideal simulations as one way to study the interplay of science, complexity, and geopolitical competition as we weight up the risks of such planetary technologies.
Following the presentation, attendees will have the chance to discuss and ask questions. This session will be moderated by Dr. Marian Feist.
