ating the circumstances surrounding the patent, and the award of the SPICE grant.
The role of patents in geoengineering is under debate. The number of patent applications being filed for geoengineering technologies is increasing. It is clear that a resolution is needed urgently.
Another major concern for the SPICE researchers is the lack of an international governance framework for geoengineering research. How should scaling up geoengineering technology, from computer modelling to field trials, be regulated?
Efforts have been made to produce guidelines for geoengineering research. The “Oxford Principles”, discussed in the House of Commons, hold that all research should be regulated as a public good. Last year the Royal Society published a report on governance initiatives relating specifically to solar radiation management techniques.
Despite this attention, there is currently no national or international mechanism for regulating geoengineering research. The activities of the SPICE project are being regulated by a combination of self-governance and oversight by the governmental funding bodies.
The lack of clear and specific guidelines for geoengineering research has caused unease among the SPICE team. In light of this, conducting a 1km balloon test was deemed to be a premature and unnecessary escalation of this research.
The future of SPICE
The majority of SPICE research continues unchanged by the cancellation of the 1km test.
But the loss of data from the 1km test is a significant challenge to the SPICE engineers. Computer predictions of balloon motions can only be trusted when they have been compared to real-life tests. So we are exploring alternative methods of validating the models, such as flying kites and laboratory measurements.
The SPICE team is committed to continued public deliberation and stakeholder engagement on geoengineering issues. We sincerely hope that the decision to cancel the 1km test will facilitate rational and timely discussion of the intellectual-property, governance and broader issues related to geoengineering.