Fleming, James Rodger (2021): Excuse Us, While We Fix the Sky: WEIRD Supermen and Climate Intervention

Fleming, J.R. (2021): Excuse Us, While We Fix the Sky: WEIRD Supermen and Climate Intervention. In: Pulé P.M., Hultman M. (eds) Men, Masculinities, and Earth. Palgrave Studies in the History of Science and Technology. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-54486-7_24

„As alarm over global warming spreads, a radical idea is taking hold. An emerging breed of so-called climate engineers is promoting invasive techniques to cool the planet through albedo modification and so-called “negative carbon emissions” will be necessary. While these proposals seem edgy and exciting, they often test the limits of scientific, technological, and institutional possibility and overlook the political, ethical, and social consequences of managing the world’s climate. Advocates of climate engineering, with vanishingly few exceptions, are Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD) males with superman complexes. Their views are short-sighted, dangerous, and “barking mad.” This chapter provides historical perspectives, social context, and a gendered analysis of these dangerous proposals.“

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