Geo-Engineering Climate Change: Environmental Necessity or Pandora's Box?

by J. Michael T. Thompson, J. Michael T. Thompson

This book is the first to present a detailed and critical appraisal of the geo-scale engineering interventions that have been proposed as potential measures to counter the devastation of run-away global warming. Early chapters set the scene with a discussion of projections of future CO2 emissions and techniques for predicting climate tipping points. Subsequent chapters then review proposals to limit CO2 concentrations through improved energy technologies, removal of CO2 from the atmosphere, and stimulated uptake by the oceans. Schemes for solar radiation management involving the reflection of sunlight back into space and using artificially brightened clouds and stratospheric aerosols are also assessed. Pros and cons of the various schemes are thoroughly examined – throwing light on the passionate public debate about their safety. Written by a group of the world's leading authorities on the subject, this comprehensive reference is essential reading for researchers and government policy makers at Copenhagen and beyond.

332 pages, Hardcover

First published December 10, 2009

Reviews

[Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The topic of geo-engineering our way out of global warming has stimulated passionate debate in recent years. While these interventions may give us a bit more time before climate change becomes catastrophic, they should never be seen as an excuse for not reducing harmful GHG emissions. The contributors to this collection of essays recognise the risks of relying on geoscale interventions to combat global warming, but, as Launder and Thompson state in the preface, the time may well come when they are accepted as less risky than doing nothing.
Though not an easy read, this is by far the most informative work on geo-engineering I have yet encountered. Recommended if you are more or less familiar with the proposals that are 'out there' and want to know the technical details and research behind them.