Questioning the technological fix to climate change – Lay sense-making of geoengineering in Sweden. (May 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wibeck, Victoria; Hansson, Anders; Anshelm, Jonas
• Is Part Of: Energy research & social science. Volume 7(2015:May)
• Page Start: 23
• Page End: 30
• Publication Date: 2015-05
• Subjects: Geoengineering -- Climate change -- Focus groups -- Social representations -- Public engagement; Power resources -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Energy consumption -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; 333.7905
• DOI: 10.1016/j.erss.2015.03.001
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2214-6296

Abstract

Abstract: This paper explores how Swedish laypeople make sense of emerging ideas of the large-scale deliberate technical manipulation of the global climate, known as geoengineering (GE). The paper is based on semi-structured focus group interviews with open-ended questions, allowing participants to express their spontaneous thoughts about GE. Although the focus group participants expressed great concern about climate change, GE was largely met with a sceptical, negative response. Participants perceived GE to: have negative environmental side-effects, address the symptoms rather than causes of climate change, create moral hazard and give rise to various governance challenges. Participants did not just reject the idea of GE outright; rather, social representations started to form in the focus groups through testing and negotiating arguments both pro and contra GE research and deployment.