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”.
Ending reliance on oil, coal, and gas, and embracing technologies that will only improve and become cheaper over time, is not just smart climate policy. It is the best way to improve economic competitiveness and human prosperity for decades to come.
