For this entry, I chose Hamilton’s reading on “Geoengineering and the Politics of Science”; the reading by Gunn-Wright and Hocket on “A Green New Deal”, and finally, the Raworth reading on “Doughnut Economics”.
To start, from where I am standing–figuratively, that is–on the line of poverty, clawing to maintain housing, clawing my way to financial stability, and clawing my way to stable mental health; I was thrilled by the content of the latter two readings, while moderately disdainful of the first reading.
Not that I felt Hamilton’s paper was disdainful, or even the tone taken in it was disdainful, but more…disdain at the sheer audacity.
The scientists fighting so hard to spray sulfate aerosols into the atmosphere to manipulate the earth’s function is the very definition of audacious. I felt pure disdain at this obsession for which they weren’t even certain would work, fighting for it for decades while there are ongoing climate catastrophes every Tuesday, causing the displacement and fatalities of people in the Global South right now.
In fact, one pervasive thought I had while reading Hamilton’s paper, specifically the part where Livermore scientists considered weapons tests to be “powerful rituals celebrating human command over life and death”, was ‘pretty sure this was a plot point in Jurassic Park’.
That said, the arrogance of that type of geoengineering, to try to manipulate the very earth’s function–rather than, I don’t know, painting roofs white or placing mirrors down on the ground in the arctic–uncaring for the possible side-effects just to satisfy a hubristic need to play God, almost made me lose faith in humanity.
Thankfully, the following two readings restored it a bit, although my inner optimist was, well, optimistic.
Reading “A Green New Deal”, and “Doughnut Economics”; my inner pessimist felt that it’s all, to be fair, a bit too ambitious. That thought, however, stopped me after thinking it because it made me question “why would it be too ambitious?” hinting that it’s impossible.
It made me realize that I’ve become accustomed to rich people getting their way constantly, simply because they are rich, while poor people are told to kick rocks. It certainly is some food for thought.
In the meantime, I look forward to seeing if A Green New Deal manages to actually leave the ground, and if the Economic Doughnut is ever actually implemented as opposed to the standard GDP.
Readings:
Hamilton, C. (2014). Geoengineering and the politics of science. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 70(3), 17–26. https://doi.org/10.1177/0096340214531173
Hockett, Robert C. and Gunn-Wright, Rhiana, The Green New Deal: Mobilizing for a Just, Prosperous, and Sustainable Economy (January 1, 2019). Cornell Legal Studies Research Paper No. 19-09, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3342494 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3342494
Raworth, K. (2017). Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist. Chelsea Green Publishing.
ma guarda quante stelle nel cielo 