A Polarised Debate: Is There a Middle Ground on Geoengineering?
Join us for a lunchtime event hosted by the Centre for Climate Repair and the Scott Polar Research Institute. Professor Marc Macias Fauria (Physical Geography) and Albert Van Wijngaarden (PhD candidate and researcher in polar geoengineering governance) will explore whether a constructive middle ground can be found within the often-divisive debate around climate interventions. The discussion will bring together perspectives on polarisation, the case for advancing research, and how inclusive dialogue might be fostered.
2024 was the first year to exceed the 1.5°C warming threshold, and global emissions continue to rise. Against this backdrop, interest in climate interventions has grown as potential tools to help reduce temperatures. Techniques such as Arctic Ice Rethickening and Marine Cloud Brightening aim to preserve Arctic ice and reflect solar radiation away from the Earth.
With £56.8 million in UK government funding now supporting research into approaches such as these, debate around the benefits and risks of geoengineering is intensifying—and often becoming polarised. Views range from calls to prohibit research altogether to arguments for the swift deployment of these technologies. Others suggest that this ‘no middle ground’ framing leaves a gap in responsible governance and transparent, science-based decision-making.
Is polarisation on geoengineering inevitable? Or can a middle ground be found, and what might it look like? Join us on 6th May to explore these questions.
Event page and for booking and in-person space: https://buytickets.at/centreforclimaterepair1/2176556
