“There are almost no women” working in the geoengineering field

As scientists continue to advocate for further development of [geoengineering] technologies, the field’s demographics are drawing more scrutiny. Some researchers argue the lack of diversity affects both which geoengineering projects get discussed [...] and how their risks get calculated.

In a recent article, Wired writer Sarah Sax dives into the troubling demographics of the White male-dominated geoengineering field, a largely theoretical research program with the potential for global impacts, both anticipated and unforeseen. 

Explaining how the monocultural makeup of the world's geoengineering scientists might impact—and bias—their research, Sax writes, "Because the only way to test these interventions is to deploy them, much of the science of geoengineering remains hypothetical. But even that is problematic." 

As Jack Stilgoe, a sociologist at University College London, tells Sax, “We can’t do risk assessments because we have no idea of the technology; It is still in the realm of the imagination. But what is imagined is actually really important. And who does that imagining really impacts the material outcomes.”

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Antonio Pacheco via Archinect - News http://bit.ly/2s8mYx3