Without solar geoengineering to deal with climate change, will Earth inevitably become inhabitable? The hugely controversial, if probably inexpensive, proposal — to cool the planet by using aerosols or other methods to reflect away some of the Sun’s radiation — defines economist Gernot Wagner’s thought-provoking study. Two decades ago, he considered the idea “nuts”. He still does, but today he advocates extensive new research and thinks we have to take the “gamble”, despite the risks. The issue is now “not if, but when”.
Just as the broader European economy depends heavily on Germany, the continent's industrial powerhouse, Germany's own economy depends on access to affordable power. With geopolitical and climate conditions requiring an urgent transition to renewables, the task now is to develop a politically viable energy strategy.
