Abstract
Stephen Gardiner argues that geoengineering does not meet the “canonical technical definition” of a global public good, and that it is misleading to frame geoengineering as a public good. A public good is something that is nonrival and nonexcludable. Contrary to Gardiner’s claims, geoengineering meets both of these criteria. Framing geoengineering as a public good is useful because it allows commentators to draw on the existing economic, philosophical, and social scientific literature on the governance of public goods.
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Thanks to Scott Barrett and Daniel Morrow for helpful comments.
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Morrow, D.R. Why geoengineering is a public good, even if it is bad. Climatic Change 123, 95–100 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-013-0967-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-013-0967-1