title: Perceptions of enhanced weathering as a biological negative emissions option.
abstract: This paper addresses the social acceptability of enhanced weathering, a technology that would involve spreading silicate particles over terrestrial surfaces in order to boost the biological processes that currently sequester CO2as part of the earth's natural carbon cycle. We present the first exploration of British attitudes towards enhanced weathering, using an online survey (n= 935) of a representative quota sample of the public. Baseline awareness of weathering was extremely low. Many respondents remained undecided or neutral about risks, although more people support than oppose weathering. Factors predicting support for weathering and its research included feelings about the technology and trust in scientists. Over half of the sample agrees that scientists should be able to conduct research into effectiveness and risks, but with conditions also placed upon how research is conducted, including the need for scientific independence, small-scale trials, strict monitoring, risk minimization and transparency of results. Public engagement is needed to explore in more detail why particular individuals feel either positive or negative about weathering, and why they believe particular conditions should be applied to research, as part of wider responsible research and innovation processes for biological and other types of negative emissions technologies.
authors.affiliation: Understanding Risk Research Group, School of Psychology, Cardiff University and the Leverhulme Centre for Climate Change Mitigation, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK pidgeonn@cardiff.ac.uk.|Leverhulme Centre for Climate Change Mitigation, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
authors.forename: Nick F
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-8991-0398
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Pidgeon
authors.affiliation: Understanding Risk Research Group, School of Psychology, Cardiff University and the Leverhulme Centre for Climate Change Mitigation, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK.|Leverhulme Centre for Climate Change Mitigation, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
authors.forename: Elspeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Spence
mesh_terms: D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D018534:Earth, Planet; D006801:Humans; D017640:Silicates; D014887:Weather
chemical_list: D017640:Silicates; D002245:Carbon Dioxide
keywords: biological negative emissions; enhanced weathering; public perceptions