Experiment Earth ─ Responsible innovation in geoengineering

Experiments in geoengineering – intentionally manipulating the Earth’s climate to reduce global warming – have become the focus of a vital debate about the ethics and politics of science and innovation.

This book explores these issues through the lens of one of the world’s first major geoengineering projects. The SPICE (Stratospheric Particle Injection for Climate Engineering) project attracted public attention by proposing an experiment to see if it might be possible put particles high into the atmosphere to cut the amount of sunlight reaching the Earth’s surface. Drawing on three years of sociological research working with the scientists investigating the idea of geoengineering, the book examines how experiments become controversial and argues that we should change the way we govern emerging technologies. The lessons of SPICE force us to rethink the responsibilities of scientists and ask how science can take better care of the futures that it helps bring about.

This book gives students, researchers and the general reader interested in the place of science in contemporary society a compelling framework for future thinking and discussion.

Jack Stilgoe is a lecturer in the Department of Science and Technology Studies at University College London, UK.