Perceptions of enhanced weathering as a biological negative emissions option
Open accessAbstract
This paper addresses the social acceptability of enhanced weathering, a technology that would involve spreading silicate particles over terrestrial surfaces in order to boost the biological processes that currently sequester CO 2 as part of the earth's natural carbon cycle. We present the first exploration of British attitudes towards enhanced weathering, using an online survey ( n = 935) of a representative quota sample of the public. Baseline awareness of weathering was extremely low. Many respondents remained undecided or neutral about risks, although more people support than oppose weathering. Factors predicting support for weathering and its research included feelings about the technology and trust in scientists. Over half of the sample agrees that scientists should be able to conduct research into effectiveness and risks, but with conditions also placed upon how research is conducted, including the need for scientific independence, small-scale trials, strict monitoring, risk minimization and transparency of results. Public engagement is needed to explore in more detail why particular individuals feel either positive or negative about weathering, and why they believe particular conditions should be applied to research, as part of wider responsible research and innovation processes for biological and other types of negative emissions technologies.
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Such testing needs to understand the conditions that society might place upon the development and large-scale deployment of ERW technologies, as part of a wider responsible research and innovation programme.
“Crucially, such testing needs to understand the conditions that society might place upon the development and large-scale deployment of ERW technologies, as part of a wider responsible research and innovation programme 51 .”
From Potential for large-scale CO2 removal via enhanced rock weathering with croplands (2020) · cites this paper as [51]
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- Authors
- Pidgeon, N. F., & Spence, E.
- Affiliations
- Leverhulme Centre for Climate Change Mitigation (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Pidgeon, Nick F.
- Venue
- Biology Letters
- Publisher
- The Royal Society
- Published
- 2017-04
- Volume
- 13
- Issue
- 4
- ISSN
- 1744-9561 (ISSN-L)
- 1744-957X
- PMC
- PMC5414695
- OpenAlex
- W2604523102
- Cited by
- 46
- References
- 20
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 2
- FWCI
- 2.46
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Locations
- Biology Letters (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- ORCA Online Research @Cardiff (Cardiff University) (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- Leverhulme Trust (RC-2015-029)
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University (n/a)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Climate Change and Geoengineering
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Climate Change Communication and Perception
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Risk Perception and Management
- Keywords
- enhanced weathering, carbon dioxide removal, public attitudes, social acceptance, silicate dust, carbon sequestration, public trust in scientists, responsible research and innovation, citizen participation, geoengineering risks, research regulation, public awareness
- MeSH terms
- Carbon Dioxide, Humans, Weather, Silicates, Earth, Planet
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