The governance of solar geoengineering : managing climate change in the Anthropocene

Climate change is among the world's most important problems, and solutions based on emission cuts or adapting to new climates remain elusive. One set of proposals receiving increasing attention among scientists and policymakers is 'solar geoengineering', (also known as solar radiation modification) which would reflect a small portion of incoming sunlight to reduce climate change. Evidence indicates that this could be effective, inexpensive, and technically feasible, but it poses environmental risks and social challenges. Governance will thus be crucial. In The Governance of Solar Geoengineering, Jesse L. Reynolds draws on law, political science, and economics to show how solar geoengineering is, could, and should be governed. The book considers states' incentives and behavior, international and national law, intellectual property, compensation for possible harm, and non-state governance. It also recommends how solar geoengineering could be responsibly researched, developed, and - if appropriate - used in ways that would improve human well-being and ensure sustainability. "This book discusses the governance of solar geoengineering. It is primarily descriptive: How is solar geoengineering governed? It is secondarily analytical: What are the opportunities and challenges? And tertiarily, it is prescriptive: How should solar geoengineering be governed? Although it largely concerns law, a substantial portion of governance is done through nonlegal means, such as norms, principles, codes of conduct, private regulation, and self-regulation. Governance is further shaped by politics, ethics, and economics. Outdoor activities, especially large-scale research and deployment, are more consequential and controversial, and thus receive more attention. Given that these would have transboundary if not global effects, international relations and international law come to the forefront"-- Provided by publisher 1. Introduction 2. Climate change and solar geoengineering 3. Solar geoengineering and emissions abatement 4. International relations 5. International law: legal norms, principles, custom, and organizations 6. International law: the climate and atmosphere 7. International law: human rights 8. International law: other agreements 9. US law 10. Nonstate governance 11. Nonstate actors and intellectual property 12. International compensation and liability 13. A path forward 14. Conclusion