Synopses & Reviews
An inside tour of the incredible—and probably dangerous—plans to counteract the effects of climate change through experiments that range from the plausible to the fantasticDavid Battisti had arrived in Cambridge expecting a bloodbath. So had many of the other scientists who had joined him for an invitation-only workshop on climate science in 2007, with geoengineering at the top of the agenda. We can't take deliberately altering the atmosphere seriously, he thought, because theres no way we'll ever know enough to control it. But by the second day, with bad climate news piling on bad climate news, he was having second thoughts. When the scientists voted in a straw poll on whether to support geoengineering research, Battisti, filled with fear about the future, voted in favor.
While the pernicious effects of global warming are clear, efforts to reduce the carbon emissions that cause it have fallen far short of whats needed. Some scientists have started exploring more direct and radical ways to cool the planet, such as:
- Pouring reflective pollution into the upper atmosphere
- Making clouds brighter
- Growing enormous blooms of algae in the ocean
Schemes that were science fiction just a few years ago have become earnest plans being studied by alarmed scientists, determined to avoid a climate catastrophe. In Hack the Planet, Science magazine reporter Eli Kintisch looks more closely at this array of ideas and characters, asking if these risky schemes will work, and just how geoengineering is changing the world.
Scientists are developing geoengineering techniques for worst-case scenarios. But what would those desperate times look like? Kintisch outlines four circumstances: collapsing ice sheets, megadroughts, a catastrophic methane release, and slowing of the global ocean conveyor belt.
As incredible and outlandish as many of these plans may seem, could they soon become our only hope for avoiding calamity? Or will the plans of brilliant and well-intentioned scientists cause unforeseeable disasters as they play out in the real world? And does the advent of geoengineering mean that humanity has failed in its role as steward of the planet—or taken on a new responsibility? Kintisch lays out the possibilities and dangers of geoengineering in a time of planetary tipping points. His investigation is required reading as the debate over global warming shifts to whether humanity should Hack the Planet.
Review
* ""Geoengineering is generally defined as the application of engineering techniques to alter the planet as a whole...as Mr. Kintisch relates, these remedies are not necessarily simple and even their easy-to-envision consequences can be alarming.""
New York Times
Review
"
Hack the Planet is a superbly written and reported chronicle of a remarkable story. In just a few years 'geoengineering' fixes to climate change--simulating volcanoes, CO2-sucking, cloud-brightening--have gone from crackpot to considered ideas. Eli Kintisch's book is boundlessly smarter and more deeply researched on this topic than
Superfreakonomics. Expect to hear much more in coming years from the planet-hackers--and from Kintisch."
—Eric Roston, author of The Carbon
Review
"Geoengineering is generally defined as the application of engineering techniques to alter the planet as a whole...as Mr. Kintisch relates, these remedies are not necessarily simple and even their easy-to-envision consequences can be alarming."
New York Times
Synopsis
An inside tour of the incredible--and probably dangerous--plans to avoid climate change that may soon be our only hope
The climate crisis could one day cause a catastrophe in America or Europe--an agricultural collapse, a terrible drought, widespread flooding--that would force nations to act quickly. But what actions could they take? Cutting emissions takes time and may not forestall the worst effects. But while politicians and the public have dithered and delayed, a community of scientific outsiders has been hard at work coming up with radical potential solutions.
In Hack the Planet, Science magazine writer Eli Kintisch investigates different scenarios proposed by scientists to tinker with the atmosphere. From making cement from coal plant exhaust to cloud-brightening, the options are wild, the science big, and the challenges fascinating. Describes all the mind-boggling plans geoengineers are planning for combating global warming, from growing algae blooms in the ocean (to capture carbon) to adding pollution to the atmosphere (to deflect the sun's rays) Outlines the four scenarios where climate change could be so quick and cataclysmic--like the economic collapse of 2008--that we'd need a global climate bailout Follows the scientists--brilliant and sometimes outlandish characters--as they work to make their dreams a reality
With tons of carbon dioxide pouring into the atmosphere every second, Hack the Planet takes you to the front lines of the fight to stave off climate catastrophe and save humanity.
Synopsis
An inside tour of the incredible--and probably dangerous--plans to counteract the effects of climate change through experiments that range from the plausible to the fantastic
Earth's climate crisis looms over us on a daily basis, and while cutting greenhouse emissions might have an effect in the future, the potential for a climate-based catastrophe remains. An agricultural collapse, a terrible drought, or widespread flooding--each would force nations to act quickly, but what actions could they take? While politicians and the public have dithered and delayed, a community of scientific outsiders has been hard at work coming up with radical potential solutions. Known as geoengineering, the work of these scientists represents the first time prominent researchers have contemplated purposefully tinkering with global planetary systems, marking a new phase of humanity's dominance over the planet.
In Hack the Planet, Eli Kintisch (Science magazine) investigates geoengineering and the different scenarios proposed by the scientists exploring it, from making cement out of coal plant exhaust to brightening clouds. The options are wild, the science big, and the moral and political issues trenchant. Along the way, readers will also: Learn about the mind-boggling plans geoengineers are proposing to combat global warming, from growing algae blooms in the ocean (to capture carbon) to adding pollution to the atmosphere (to deflect the sun's rays) Explore the science behind each plan, as well as the related ethical and geopolitical questions that could forever alter our relationship with nature Become versed in the four key scenarios where climate change could be so quick and cataclysmic--much like the economic collapse of 2008--that we would need a global climate bailout in order to survive Follow the scientists--brilliant and sometimes outlandish characters--as they work to make their dreams a reality
With tons of carbon dioxide pouring into our atmosphere every second, long-term solutions might prove inadequate to stave off a climate disaster. Hack the Planet takes you to the front lines as scientists devise radical new steps to reshape a planet in peril.
Synopsis
PRAISE FOR HACK THE PLANET"Hack the Planet reads like a sci-fi novel.But it's all the scarier because it's true."
—Elizabeth Kolbert, author of Field Notes from a Catastrophe: Man, Nature, and Climate Change
"Anyone who considers themselves scientifically literate had better get versed in the new discipline of geoengineering—or planethacking, as Eli Kintisch calls it in this nuanced and useful new account. This discussion is not going to go away anytime soon!"
—Bill McKibben, author of Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet
"As climate change goes unmitigated and continues to worsen,it seems we can no longer avoid a public debate on the prospect of planetary geoengineering—doing something probably bad to the planet to avert something even worse. It will be an Earth-changing discussion, and no one should feel competent to participate without having first read Eli Kintisch's Hack the Planet, an indispensable introduction to the topic. The scientific ideas he explains and characters he depicts are compelling and occasionally riveting."
—Chris Mooney, author of The Republican War on Science and coauthor of Unscientific America
"Hack the Planet is a superbly written and reportedchronicle of a remarkable story. In just a few years, 'geoengineering' fixes to climate change—simulating volcanoes, CO2-sucking, cloud-brightening—have gone from crackpot to considered ideas. Eli Kintisch's book is boundlessly smarter and more deeplyresearched on this topic than SuperFreakonomics. Expect to hear much more in coming years from the planet-hackers—and from Kintisch."
—Eric Roston, author of The Carbon
Synopsis
An inside tour of the incredible—and probably dangerous—plans to counteract the effects of climate change through experiments that range from the plausible to the fantasticDavid Battisti had arrived in Cambridge expecting a bloodbath. So had many of the other scientists who had joined him for an invitation-only workshop on climate science in 2007, with geoengineering at the top of the agenda. We can't take deliberately altering the atmosphere seriously, he thought, because there’s no way we'll ever know enough to control it. But by the second day, with bad climate news piling on bad climate news, he was having second thoughts. When the scientists voted in a straw poll on whether to support geoengineering research, Battisti, filled with fear about the future, voted in favor.
While the pernicious effects of global warming are clear, efforts to reduce the carbon emissions that cause it have fallen far short of what’s needed. Some scientists have started exploring more direct and radical ways to cool the planet, such as:
- Pouring reflective pollution into the upper atmosphere
- Making clouds brighter
- Growing enormous blooms of algae in the ocean
Schemes that were science fiction just a few years ago have become earnest plans being studied by alarmed scientists, determined to avoid a climate catastrophe. In Hack the Planet, Science magazine reporter Eli Kintisch looks more closely at this array of ideas and characters, asking if these risky schemes will work, and just how geoengineering is changing the world.
Scientists are developing geoengineering techniques for worst-case scenarios. But what would those desperate times look like? Kintisch outlines four circumstances: collapsing ice sheets, megadroughts, a catastrophic methane release, and slowing of the global ocean conveyor belt.
As incredible and outlandish as many of these plans may seem, could they soon become our only hope for avoiding calamity? Or will the plans of brilliant and well-intentioned scientists cause unforeseeable disasters as they play out in the real world? And does the advent of geoengineering mean that humanity has failed in its role as steward of the planet—or taken on a new responsibility? Kintisch lays out the possibilities and dangers of geoengineering in a time of planetary tipping points. His investigation is required reading as the debate over global warming shifts to whether humanity should Hack the Planet.
About the Author
ELI KINTISCH is a reporter for Science magazine. He has also written for Slate, Discover, and the New Republic. He lives in Washington, D.C.
Table of Contents
1 It's Come to This.
2 Hedging Our Climate Bets.
3 The Point of No Return.
4 The Pinatubo Option.
5 The Pursuit of Levers.
6 The Sucking-1-Ton Challenge.
7 Credit Is Due.
8 Victor's Garden.
9 The Sky and Its Reengineer.
10 The Right Side of the Issue.
11 A Political Climate.
12 Geoengineering and Earth.
Acknowledgments.
Notes.
Index.