Rooting carbon dioxide removal research in the social sciences.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Climate Change Research
• Social Science Integration

Background:

• Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is vital for mitigating climate change impacts.
• Natural science research dominates CDR feasibility studies.
• Integrating social science perspectives is essential for comprehensive CDR strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore barriers and opportunities in integrating social science into CDR research.
• To foster interdisciplinary collaboration between natural and social scientists in the CDR field.
• To identify key social, political, economic, and cultural elements for CDR development and adoption.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of a 2019 workshop aimed at interdisciplinary CDR collaboration.
• Examination of lessons learned and missed opportunities from the workshop.
• Review of challenges in remote participation and expertise imbalance during the workshop.

Main Results:

• A snowstorm disrupted the workshop, reducing social scientist participation and shifting expertise balance.
• Remote participation was less effective than anticipated, hindering social science integration.
• The workshop highlighted significant barriers to integrating natural, physical, and social sciences in CDR.

Conclusions:

• Effective CDR requires a holistic approach, integrating technical, social, political, economic, and cultural factors.
• Overcoming interdisciplinary barriers is critical for advancing CDR research and implementation.
• Enhanced collaboration between natural and social scientists is necessary to address climate change within limited timeframes.