Visions of Climate Control: Solar Radiation Management in Climate Simulations
Abstract
Various geoengineering technologies that would deliberately alter the climate system have been proposed as a way to alleviate risks of global warming. Technologies that would shield incoming sunlight to cool the planet, so called solar radiation management (SRM), are particularly controversial. Considering insights from social studies of simulation modeling and research on expectations in science and technology, I argue that climate modeling has a central role in producing visions of SRM. I draw upon an empirical analysis of scientific research on SRM to examine how a creative play with technological ideas becomes possible through climate modeling. This enables scientists to project and study environmental impacts of speculative SRM methods in virtual experiments and to develop and refine ideas for adjusting sunlight. Hence, while climate models are used to improve scientific understandings of climate system behavior and to anticipate possible environmental impacts of SRM, they also become inventive tools, allowing scientists to envision novel ways of climate control and optimization. Given the importance of simulation studies to knowledge production on SRM, I critically reflect on the challenges that arise when visions about an engineered climate future are first and foremost produced in climate simulations.
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SAI will not necessarily perfectly result in desired design outcomes.
“nor will SAI necessarily perfectly result in desired 'design' outcomes (Wiertz, 2016; McLaren, 2018).”
From A Fate Worse Than Warming? Stratospheric Aerosol Injection and Global Catastrophic Risk (2021) · cites this paper as Wiertz, 2016
Neatly framed and optimized objectives found in modeling will not necessarily be reflected in messy and contested real-life preferences.
“Neatly framed and optimized objectives found in modeling will not necessarily be reflected in messy and contested real life preferences, nor will SAI necessarily perfectly result in desired 'design' outcomes (Wiertz, 2016; McLaren, 2018).”
From A Fate Worse Than Warming? Stratospheric Aerosol Injection and Global Catastrophic Risk (2021) · cites this paper as Wiertz, 2016
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Whose climate and whose ethics? Conceptions of justice in solar geoengineering modelling
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A Fate Worse Than Warming? Stratospheric Aerosol Injection and Global Catastrophic Risk
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“Neatly framed and optimized objectives found in modeling will not necessarily be reflected in messy and contested real life preferences, nor will SAI necessarily perfectly result in desired “design” outcomes (Wiertz, 2016; McLaren, 2018).”
Background
- Authors
- Wiertz, T.
- Affiliations
- University of Freiburg (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Wiertz, Thilo
- ORCID
- Wiertz, Thilo
- Venue
- Science, Technology, & Human Values
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2015-09-22
- Volume
- 41
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 438-460
- ISSN
- 0162-2439 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-8251
- OpenAlex
- W2313499213
- Cited by
- 25
- References
- 65
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 1
- FWCI
- 1.91
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Science Technology & Human Values (publishedVersion)
- Publication Database GFZ (GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Climate Change and Geoengineering
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Sustainability and Climate Change Governance
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Atmospheric aerosols and clouds
- Keywords
- solar radiation management, geoengineering, climate modeling, climate control, simulation study, future vision, climate change mitigation, knowledge production
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