From Securitization to Normalization: The Politics of Climate Engineering

This presentation will explore the intricate relationship between climate engineering techniques and the securitization of climate change, focusing on how framing climate change as a security threat contributes to the normalization of geoengineering approaches such as solar radiation management and carbon dioxide removal. Through key examples, the discussion will examine how the urgency created by securitization narratives has legitimized the development, testing, and, in some cases, deployment of these technologies. This framing often bypasses traditional democratic scrutiny, raising questions about the conditions under which such normalization occurs. The presentation will delve into the dynamics by which securitization accelerates the acceptance of these controversial techniques as viable solutions to climate risks. By investigating these processes, the talk will shed light on the implications of this securitization-normalization nexus for public discourse, policy-making, and the governance of climate interventions. It invites critical reflection on how such narratives shape the trajectory of climate engineering in geopolitical contexts.