Organising the unthinkable in times of crises: Will climate engineering become the weapon of last resort in the Anthropocene?. (July 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lederer, Markus; Kreuter, Judith
• Other Names: Wright Christopher guest-editor.; Nyberg Daniel guest-editor.; Rickards Lauren guest-editor.; Freund James guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Organization. Volume 25:Number 4(2018:Jul.)
• Page Start: 472
• Page End: 490
• Publication Date: 2018-07
• Subjects: Analogy -- Anthropocene -- carbon dioxide removal -- climate change -- climate engineering -- crisis -- geoengineering -- nuclear technology -- organisation -- solar radiation management; Organizational sociology -- Periodicals; Organization -- Periodicals; 302.35
• DOI: 10.1177/1350508418759186
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1350-5084

Abstract

In this article, we ask how the approaches of climate engineering – mostly highly technological approaches to address the challenge of global climate change – might be organised in the age of the Anthropocene. We understand the term 'Anthropocene' to be characterised by crisis, on one hand, and by promise, on the other. In particular, we aim to raise doubts on the dominant perspective on the organisation of climate engineering, which assumes these approaches to be regulated through legalistic means. Drawing an analogy to the early development stages of nuclear weapons, we point out that, instead of following a legalistic rationale, climate engineering organisation might pursue a logic of technical feasibility, political acceptance and bureaucratic momentum.