CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress- Geoengineering: Governance and Technology Policy Kelsi Bracmort Specialist in Agricultural Conservation and Natural Resources Policy Richard K. Lattanzio Analyst in Environmental Policy January 2, 2013 National Policies Addressing Geoengineering Efforts by the U.S. government to develop policies addressing the use of emerging technologies are well documented.76 These efforts may indicate best practices for developing effective policies to address the deployment of geoengineering technologies, which, like prior emerging technologies, are associated with uncertainty and a variety of social, ethical, and environmental risks.77 From a research standpoint, emerging high-risk technologies (such as geoengineering) often struggle to obtain private sector financing and/or research support during the initial phases of investigation. Reasons for the lack of private sector involvement in geoengineering may include (1) aversion to investing in long-term technical uncertainty; (2) lack of a price mechanism on carbon to incentivize deployment of the technologies; (3) uncertainty over the commercial or private sector use of the technologies beyond large-scale government implementation; and (4) a desire not to engage until certain social, economic, and environmental risks are addressed. Consequently, emerging technologies (such as geoengineering) may require some measure of initial public subsidy to help spur development. Some such subsidies already exist at the federal level in the United States for some technologies (e.g., carbon sequestration, renewable energy). Conversely, from a regulatory standpoint, emerging technologies (such as geoengineering) carry the risk of hazard and unintended consequences. Due to the uncertainties for public health, safety, and welfare, geoengineering activities may require constraints, prohibitions, or bans comparable to the regulatory controls placed on hazardous materials or waste streams. fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R41371.pdf
Posted on: Fri, 02 Aug 2013 01:50:49 +0000
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