Technoscientific Futures: New Challenges in Solar Geoengineering
Keywords:
techno-science, Anthropocene, geoengineering, climate change, Great AccelerationAbstract
The emergence and proliferation of techno-sciences since the mid-20th century has rapidly accelerated the transformation of natural spheres. The technosphere is a new interconnected system that has superimposed itself upon the biosphere. It consists of multiple artificial objects and their various interrelationships, accounting for a considerable amount of the environmental risks of our time. This article explores its expansion during the Great Acceleration of the 20th century from two practices within techno-scientific activity: the use of computer simulations and meteorological intervention. Both of them currently converge in the recent proposals for solar radiation management (SRM), which aims to transform and regulate atmospheric conditions in order to reduce global warming. The current climate crisis and the advancements in geoengineering suggest that there are certain elements that may give rise to the appearance of future climate techno-sciences, based on private initiatives and research platforms such as Future Earth. The prediction and prevalence of underlying risks are matters to be anticipated by STS studies. Together, they form an agenda of issues centered on the Technocene: the era of techno-sciences as the main altering force of the Earth System.Downloads
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