Panel: MAPPING ECO(THEO)LOGICAL IMAGINARIES. RELIGION AND UTOPIA IN TIMES OF ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSFORMATION.



267.7 - GEOENGINEERING REVISITED: A REFORMATIONAL CRITIQUE

AUTHORS:
Harmsen M. (Free University Amsterdam ~ Amsterdam ~ Netherlands)
Text:
Geoengineering, the manipulation of Earth's climate systems to mitigate climate change, has garnered significant attention and controversy. While proponents often frame it as a technological panacea, ethical concerns have risen during the last decades. Critics have typically argued that geoengineering could exacerbate existing inequalities and create morally hazardous consequences like ongoing consumption patterns and climate-harming policies in rich countries, potentially distracting from the urgent need to reduce those patterns and policies that fuel greenhouse gas emissions. The debate on geoengineering has changed somewhat in tone as measurements in reducing greenhouse emissions have proven to be insufficient, and claims on geoengineering solutions have been more humble and pre-conditional, thus re-opening the ethical debate on geoengineering. This paper re-examines geoengineering through the lens of Herman Dooyeweerd's Christian philosophy and worldview. Herman Dooyeweerd (1894-1977) devised a philosophy based on Christian reformational principles, and his followers critiqued the use and value of technology. Dooyeweerd's framework offers a unique perspective on nature and technology, emphasising the motives and consequences of the designing owners and engineers behind any technology design and usage. But it also questions why critiques on non-technological, natural geoengineering have been fewer and examines the motives for the lesser critique. By analysing geoengineering within this context, we can explore the underlying motivations, values, and potential consequences of such interventions. This critique aims to contribute to a more nuanced and responsible discussion of geoengineering as a possible solution or alleviation to climate change.