A Service of Leibniz-Informationszentrum econstor Wirtschaft Leibniz Information Centre Make Your Publications Visible. zbw for Economics Nuhija, Bekim; Stojchevska, Stefani Conference Paper Militarization of the anthropocene through solar geoengineering applications AICEI Proceedings Provided in Cooperation with: University American College Skopje Suggested Citation: Nuhija, Bekim; Stojchevska, Stefani (2020) : Militarization of the anthropocene through solar geoengineering applications, AICEI Proceedings, ISSN 2671-3713, University American College Skopje, Skopje, Vol. 15, Iss. 1, pp. 173-183, http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4393657 This Version is available at: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/234169 Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen: Terms of use: Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Documents in EconStor may be saved and copied for your Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden. personal and scholarly purposes. 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Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, If the documents have been made available under an Open gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort Content Licence (especially Creative Commons Licences), you genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. may exercise further usage rights as specified in the indicated licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ www.econstor.eu Climate Change: Challenges and Building Resilience MILITARIZATION OF THE ANTHROPOCENE THROUGH SOLAR GEO- ENGINEERING APPLICATIONS Bekim Nuhija1, Stefani Stojchevska1 1Faculty of Law – South East European University Tetovo, R.N. Macedonia ABSTRACT: While currently living in the geological epoch of the Anthropocene, mankind is consequently fighting against climate change and other hazardous en- vironmental issues. Although solar geoengineering has been proposed as a promis- ing solution, the universal fear regarding its military misuse is still prominent and widely existent. It is believed that this fear could lay the foundation for the concept of a militarized Anthropocene – the manifestation of preset temporal aspects of human- ity’s destructive influence regarding climate change for military use. Contrastingly enough, there are a multitude of factors which manifest unrealistic expectations in relation to this concept. While emphasizing the importance of the military as the most suitable governmental institution for developing and utilizing solar geoengineering techniques, this paper aims to address such presumptions through anthropological, ethical, legislative, as well as argumentative approaches. Misleading public opinion, particularly, as a biased perception fails to recognize that military-aimed solar geo- engineering methods does not represent a risk by itself, but rather the interference between the belligerent nations and should be concerned as national security. More- over, the emergence of the slippery slope argument manifested by global psychology and international awareness causes military-related disadvantages concerning the utilization of solar geoengineering as a method of weather warfare. The concept of a militarized Anthropocene, although seemingly controversial, would only enhance the benefits of military-conducted solar geoengineering methods that will be felt by humanity for centuries to come. KEYWORDS: solar geoengineering, military, ethics, policy, anthropocene, weather warfare AICEI2020 doi: 10.5281/zenodo.4393657 173 Fifteenth Annual International Conference on European Integration – AICEI 2020 INTRODUCTION response to climate change, although seemingly controversial, manifest either Solar geoengineering applications rep- a destructive or a constructive correlation resent promising scientific methods to with international or global psychology. prevent the disastrous consequences of Consequently, all arguments contained climate change. However, the universal within this paper are supported by rel- fear of military misuse is still present evant literature such as internation- among the public, which is a significant al conventions, department of defense issue that discourages the concept and documents, geoengineering researches, benefits of a militarized Anthropocene. prominent books on weather warfare, etc. The aim of this paper, through its chosen Regarding the context of climate change, research methodology and literature, is solar geoengineering might be humani- to examine and resolve such irrational, ty’s best option to protect planet Earth and unsupported and biased fears in order to it is in our particular interest to properly present realistic expectations about the analyze the abovementioned issue. Previ- proposition of a militarized Anthropo- ous studies from aspects of logistics, an- cene through solar geoengineering ap- thropology, ethics, as well as internation- plications being effective against climate al legislation have analyzed the utilization change and other harmful environmental of solar geoengineering applications and issues that we are currently facing. the possibilities of weather warfare. While such studies have managed to examine The main research findings, consequent- the possibilities of weaponization and ly, have proven to conclude that the tech- the conduct of warfare, they all represent nological evolution of warfare does not separate notions, which in relation to so- have to necessarily represent a parallel lar geoengineering, have shown that the notion with non-hostile scientific de- militarization of the Anthropocene can be velopment, especially when considered a appropriately justified in the fight against public good. Additionally, predetermined climate change. applications of climate change techniques do not necessarily imply weather warfare The research methodology, on the oth- perceived by an unethical manner, but er hand, primarily relies upon the anal- instead proposes an appropriate sever- ysis of data in relation to anthropology, ity-based classification and, therefore, legislation and ethics, with a particular it is necessary to properly regulate solar emphasis upon the Slippery Slope ar- geoengineering applications as both mili- gument as a logical fallacy in relation to tary and non-military dimensions. misleading public opinion with the pur- pose of proving that its logical structure, as a pattern of reasoning, is invalid. The MILITARY-ORIENTED CLIMATE CHANGE reason why these particular fields and AND IMPACTS: A LEGAL ANALYSIS approaches have been chosen is because it is relevant to analyze and understand While currently facing harmful conse- the non-technical aspects of the mili- quences of climate change and other se- tarization of the Anthropocene through rious environmental issues, it is gener- solar geoengineering applications. Be- ally believed that mankind manifests its ing regarded as irrational factors mani- existence within the parameters of the fested by the global community, it is im- Anthropocene – a proposed term for the portant to better understand and justify present geological epoch (from the time the non-technical aspects of solar geo- of the Industrial Revolution onwards), engineering. Scientific developments in during which humanity has begun to 174 Climate Change: Challenges and Building Resilience have a significant impact on the environ- new generation of sophisticated electro- ment. (Dictionary, 2012) magnetic weapons. Both the US and Rus- sia have developed capabilities to manip- The indication of human actions having a ulate the climate for military use. (Chos- significant impact upon climate and eco- sudovsky, 2018) systems, particularly since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution has created Despite a vast body of scientific knowl- the assumption that the Anthropocene edge, the issue of deliberate climatic ma- would eventually succeed the Holocene, nipulations for military use has never being identified as the current official- been explicitly part of the UN agenda on ly acknowledged epoch, which manifests climate change. Neither the official del- great climate stability. And while global egations nor the environmental action warming has occurred prior to the Holo- groups participating in the Hague Con- cene its cause originate from strictly nat- ference on Climate Change (CO6) (No- ural contributions, as it occurred after vember 2000) have raised the broad issue the last ice age. Hence, the identification of "weather warfare" or "environmental of the human factor regarding climate modification techniques (ENMOD)" as change appears after various technologi- relevant to an understanding of climate cal developments that affect our environ- change. Furthermore, a simulation study ment. However, history has shown us that of future defense "scenarios" commis- selected segments of such advancements sioned for the US Air Force calls for: simultaneously address climate change more deliberately, which is perceived as "US aerospace forces to 'own the weather' if humanity almost forcefully aims to by capitalizing on emerging technologies further emphasize its dominant position and focusing development of those technol- and