Lec 8: Geoengineering and scientific knowledge

Question 1

What are the 2 main types of geoengineering?

Answer 1

• CDR

- solar radiation management

Question 2

Why geoengineering?

Answer 2

• it’s a green technology
• it allows us to avoid the tragedy of the commons
• it’s not inconsistent with other mitigation and adaptation strategies
• it’s profitable enough for private companies to enter the market

Question 3

what is the main advantage of of geoengineering as opposed to other climate mitigation strategies?

Answer 3

it doesn’t require international agreements

Question 4

How does the US’ $45Q tax credit increase the likelihood of a profitable CDR system?

Answer 4

At the moment, americans can receive an amount of money per number of tons of CO2 captured. If this amount is raised, competition will increase, and better CDR systems will be created.

Question 5

What are arguments against geoengineering?

Answer 5

• some think it’s mad science, mistrust science/technology
• it’s playing god, against nature
• there’s uncertainty about the side-effects

Question 6

What are the 5 points in the Oxford principle of geoengineering?

Answer 6

1) Geoengineering should be regulated as a public good
2) there should be public participation in geoengineering decision-making
3) there should be disclosure of geoengineering research and open publication of its results
4) there should be independent assessment of its impacts
5) there needs to be a governance structure in place before its deployment

Question 7

What are objections to Gardiner and Fragniere’s 5 principles

Answer 7

1) Regulating geoengineering as a global public good goes against the initial goal of geoengineering. We need it to be rival so that private companies actually invest in it.
5) Requiring a governance bodies takes away the benefits of geoengineering. We want to use geoengineering specifically because it doesn’t require international agreements.

Question 8

What is knowledge?

Answer 8

a justified true belief

Question 9

What are the 3 conditions for knowledge?

Answer 9

S knows that P if and only if…

1. P is true
2. S believes that P is true
3. S is justified in thinking that P is true

Question 10

What is scientific knowledge obtained through? What is it based on?

Answer 10

inductive reasoning. based on the scientific method

Question 11

Name the 5 steps of the scientific method

Answer 11

• make an observation
• take a measurement
• come up with a testable, refutable hypothesis
• test the hypothesis
• the truth-value of hypotheses: if the hypothesis is proven to be true, you have knowledge

Question 12

What are the limits of inductive reasoning?

Answer 12

the turkey paradox
- inductive reasoning would predict that the turkey farmer would not kill the turkey

reducing uncertainty to risk

• uncertainty: we have not knowledge of the likelihood of future events
• risk: we know the likelihood of future events

difference is that with risk you can calculate the EXPECTED costs and benefits

Question 13

the precautionary principle acknowledges…

it considers….

Answer 13

• the limits of scientific knowledge
• uncertainty
• irreversability
• the possibility of unexpected catastrophic events