2024: Science and Ethics of Climate Intervention Approaches
2024: Science and Ethics of Climate Intervention Approaches
Read the recap of the 2024 Summer Institute here.
We are excited to announce this years’ PCC Summer Institute will be held September 9-11 at Friday Harbor Laboratories in the San Juan Islands. The theme will be focused on Geoengineering, tackling the following questions:
- What is the science of climate intervention approaches, including solar radiation modification (SRM) and carbon dioxide removal (CDR)?
- What are the remaining scientific and engineering challenges and uncertainties?
- What are the ethical implications and considerations?
The format will be similar to that from past years, opening with a poster session the afternoon of Sept 9, saving time on Tuesday afternoon for informal discussions, and concluding with lunch on Sept. 11. See past SI descriptions for more detail on the schedule.
Registration closed July 15, 2024. All registrants confirmed participation by August 19.
email uwpcc@uw.edu if you can no longer attend.
Paper Discussions on August 26th and September 5th
Paper discussions are typically in-person events in preparation for the Summer Institute. Graduate students are strongly encouraged to attend. Contact Julia Pelger at jpelger@uw.edu with questions.
This year we are hosting a pair of paper discussions on the topic of climate intervention. The first discussion will focus on a paper that is oriented towards physical science and the second towards ethics.
The first discussion is:
Monday the 26th of August from 12 – 1pm in ATG 310
CC, Rob and Julia will facilitate this discussion on Solar Radiation Management
Reading:
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1029/2023EF003488
The second discussion is:
Thursday the 5th of September from 1 – 2:30 in ATG 310
Steve and Julia will facilitate the discussion focusing on ethics
Hourdequin, Marion. 2018. “Climate Change, Climate Engineering, and the ‘Global Poor’: What Does Justice Require?” Ethics, Policy & Environment 21 (3). Colchester: Routledge: 270–88. doi:10.1080/21550085.2018.1562525.
Summer Institute Activities and Locations at Friday Harbor Labs: refer to FHL MAP
Housing Assignment/Key/Packet Pickup—Dining Hall
Poster Session and Opening Reception— Dining Hall and Patio
Rowboat Training— Dock
Sessions 1-4 — FHL Commons
Meals in the Dining Hall:
- 7:45-8:15 AM Breakfast Served
- 12:00 – 12:30 PM Lunch Served
- 6:00 – 6:30 PM Dinner Served
Agenda (9/06/2024)
Monday, 9th of September 2024
9:00 am Meet carpools –consult carpool drivers for meeting location
12:00 Ferry departs Anacortes for FHL (arrives at Friday Harbor at 1:05 PM; reservations strongly advised for those driving onto the ferry, all should arrive 45 min before ferry scheduled to depart)
Lunch on your own. Please consult with your van/carpool driver about plans.
1:00 – 3:45pm Housing Assignment/Packet Pickup in the Dining Hall at Friday Harbor Labs
2:30-3:00pm First of Two Rowboat Trainings. Required to check out rowboats. Meet at dock.
3:00 pm Rooms Available
3:30 – 5:30pm Welcome Reception and Poster Session (light appetizers and beverages)
6:00 – 6:30 PM Dinner Served
7:00 – 9:00pm: Evening Session “Current Research Frontiers of Geoengineering” Chair: Cecilia Bitz
7:00pm
Opening Remarks, Becky Alexander, Director, UW Program on Climate Change
Welcome and Announcements (Chair: Cecilia Bitz, UW, Atmospheric Sciences)
7:10pm Tom Ackerman (UW, Atmospheric Sciences) “Spatial and temporal time scales from testing to deployment”
7:40pm Stephen Gardiner (UW, Department of Philosophy) “Intergenerational Justice”
8:10pm Phil Rasch (UW, Atmospheric Sciences) “The use and abuse of GCMs for Climate Intervention research: MCB as an exemplar”
8:40pm Open Floor for questions and discussion
Tuesday, 10th of September 2024
7:45-8:15 AM Breakfast Served
8:30am – 12:00pm Morning Session: “Marine Cloud Brightening – Questions of Science and Ethics” (Chair: Becky Alexander)
8:30am Introduction (Chair: Becky Alexander, Director, UW Program on Climate Change)
8:35am Byron Williston (Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Faculty of Arts), “Ethics and Governance Principles for SRM”
9:05am Rob Wood (UW, Atmospheric Sciences) and Sarah Doherty (UW, Atmospheric Sciences) “What research is needed to assess marine cloud brightening?”
9:35am Michael Diamond (Florida State University, Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences), “Exit ramps for a dedicated research program into marine cloud brightening”
10:05am Coffee break and Group Picture on Stairs outside the Commons
10:30am Arthur Obst (Princeton University, Center for Human Values) “Ethics, MCB, and Outdoor Research”
11:00am Marine Cloud Brightening Panel: Michael Diamond, Arthur Obst, Byron Williston, Rob Wood, Sarah Doherty
12:00 – 12:30 PM Lunch Served
1:00-1:30pm Second and final Rowboat Training. Meet at dock.
Afternoon free to explore the island in small groups
6:00 – 6:30 PM Dinner Served
7:00 – 9:00pm Evening Session: “Regional Interventions: Questions of Science and Governance” Chair: Molly Wieringa
7:00pm Introduction (Chair: Molly Wieringa)
7:05pm Sikina Jinnah (University of California, Santa Cruz) “SRM Governance Milestones”
7:35pm Pornampai ‘Ping Ping’ Narenpitak (National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC)) “SRM Research in Thailand: A Case from the Global South”
8:05pm Cecilia Bitz (UW, Atmospheric Sciences) “Can Geoengineering Offset Arctic Climate Change?”
8:35pm Questions and Answers
9:00pm Social Time
Wednesday, 11th of September 2024
7:45-8:15 AM Breakfast Served
Check out of rooms before 11 am.
8:30am – 12:00pm Morning Session: “Carbon Removal: Questions of Ethics and Effectiveness” Chair: Michael Diamond
8:30am Introduction (Chair: Michael Diamond)
8:35am Britta Clark (Harvard University, Department of Philosophy)“Negative Emissions and Excuses”
9:05am Claire Zarakas (UW, Atmospheric Sciences) “Comparing carbon removal approaches that act over different timescales”
9:35am Brendan Carter (NOAA/Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory) “Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal Research; Example Research Exploring Local and Global Impacts of Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE)”
10:05am Coffee break
10:30am – 12:00pm Concluding session (Chair: Tom Ackerman)
10:30am Summary, Themes from PCC 2024 (Stephen Gardiner, UW, Department of Philosophy),
11:00am Panel: “The (uncertain) future of geoengineering”: Britta Clark, Jon Milgrim, Ping-Ping Narenpitak, Julia Pelger, Molly Wieringa
11:55 am Closing Remarks, Becky Alexander, Director, UW Program on Climate Change
12:00 – 12:30 PM Lunch Served
12:30 Depart Friday Harbor Lab
1:55 PM Ferry from Friday Harbor to Anacortes (reservations strongly encouraged)
This years organizers include Robert Wood (ATM S), Steve Gardiner (PHIL), Tom Ackerman (ATM S), Cecilia Bitz (ATM S).
A special thanks to William Calvin and Katherine Graubard for generously supporting the 2024 PCC Summer Institute.