In 2005, the U.N. was still reeling from the rifts caused by the U.S. invasion of Iraq, and diplomats were furiously debating ideas for reforms to the multilateral system. Fast forward to today, and Russia’s war on Ukraine is dominating U.N. diplomacy. Once again, proposals to reform the institution are also topping the agenda.
A small but growing group of scientists are beginning to draft the blueprints and build the prototypes of “climate time machines,” in the form of carbon removal and geoengineering. These approaches have the potential to unwind decades of delay and avert climate catastrophe, but they are unproven and come with risks.
The U.K. is the latest country in the Global North to prioritize resettlement schemes over accepting asylum-seekers who arrive at the border. In many ways, these approaches seem to criminalize vulnerable people. States can and should deal with the rising number of asylum-seekers making risky voyages in a more humane way.
