CASE FOR CLIMATE ENGINEERING

Is it possible to cool the planet by injecting reflective particles of sulfuric acid into the upper atmosphere where they would scatter a tiny fraction of incoming sunlight back to space, creating a thin sunshade for the ground beneath? It is cheap and technically easy. The specialised aircraft and dispersal systems required to get started could be deployed in a few years for the price of a Hollywood blockbuster. The underlying science is sound and the technological developments are real and this single technology could increase the productivity of ecosystems across the planet and stop global warming; it would increase crop yields particularly in the hottest and poorest parts of the world. Solar geoengineering is a set of emerging technologies to manipulate the climate and partially counteract climate change caused by the gradual accumulation of carbon dioxide. But deliberately adding one pollutant to temporarily counter another is a brutally ugly technical fix. It is also dangerous and entails novel environmental risks, and may accelerate the shifting balance of global power, raising security concerns that could in the worst case lead to war. Many people feel a visceral sense of repugnance on first hearing about geoengineering but for others it brings an appreciation of the hard choices at its roots. There is no magic bullet, but geoengineering's powerful potential demands a broad debate. This book attempts a synoptic view for the educated non-specialist willing to work through some complex arguments. 194pp.