Systems Thinking for Geoengineering Policy ─ How to Reduce the Threat of Dangerous Climate Change by Embracing Uncertainty and Failure

This is the first book to theorise geoengineering in terms of complex adaptive systems theory and to argue for the theoretical imperative of adaptive management as the default methodology for policymakers and civil society alike, whenever confronted with demands for near-term policy directed at long-term outcomes. It analyses the theory, practice and implications of this innovative approach, showing how it will allow policymakers to identify and reconcile the interests of current and future generations, as well as the global population, in a field where experiments and intervention will have international and unpredictable consequences. The book opens up new policy possibilities and identifies where systems thinking can be extended to other policy arenas.