Humanity has always been exposed to nature and the climate. From heavy rains and hurricanes to heat waves and droughts, we’ve had to endure climatic events, which often lead to catastrophic consequences. These disasters – causing hunger, homelessness, and destruction – have always been a part of our existence, something we had no choice but to face. Geoengineering has emerged as a potential solution – a way to intervene and lighten these crises through technology.
When researching about geoengineering it is important to mention it as a term that “encompasses all techniques designed to modify the climate and alleviate the effects of global warming” accordWing to the IPCC glossary, and together with it the Anthropocene.
We have been warned about the greenhouse effect ever since 1896 by Swedish scientist Svante Arrhenius, however it is now that we have an increased access to information and are sensing the climate change that we feel a greater threat and the urgency to act against a climate dystopia. Opinions here vary, some say in order to guide society during this epoch it may involve internationally accepted large-scale geo-engineering projects, those are called the “techno-utopians” by meteorologist Paul J. Crutzen and there are also the “eco-soterians” who believe geoengineering will only worsen the climate catastrophes in the long term bringing us to a worse scenario.
Nonetheless geoengineering has also been used to manipulate the earth‘s natural system promising short term solutions based on a State‘s necessities and interests. For instance the usage of methods such as cloud seeding, to ensure water reservoirs are filled during the drought season, or enhancing snowpack levels in the Sierra Nevadas Mountains. It goes on to extremes, as the planned blue skies ahead for an important olympic day back in 2008 in Beijing, China.
I analyse these happenings and developments in the Geoengineering as an impactful societal phenomena–it is a luxury to be able to manipulate nature and the climate to a country‘s benefit, not only in the monetary aspect but also to be able to contemplate it as a solution. What if “The Luxury of Being Afraid” slowly turns what once was an effort to address collective climate crises into an evolving luxury.
Valentina Meyer
2024