Dimming the Sun: The Urgent Case for Geoengineering

"It would be great if humanity could forego solar geoengineering and get climate change under control before the world goes off the rails. I just don't believe in that anymore."

Time is rapidly running out for humans to reduce the threats and impacts of climate change. Science journalist and award-winning author Thomas Ramge's Dimming the Sun is his provocative, informative, and almost certain to be controversial exploration of the primary way he sees that we humans can--at least in the short term--ameliorate the worst effects of climate change. His focus is solar geoengineering: Through methods such as the atmospheric injection of sulfur aerosol, the formation of human-generated cirrus clouds, and the use of solar sails in space, solar geoengineering offers ways to slow the Earth's warming caused by human-centered climate change. These ideas are as scientifically plausible as they are politically challenging.

Dimming the Sun is thefirst in-depth look at this critical technology. Ramge offers a complete overview, from scientific explanations to potential legal battles, and everywhere in between, including:

• what approaches could be used to dim the sun effectively and safely
• what risks--both geophysical and political--come with attempting to dim the sun
• How the international community might come together to agree on and regulate a plan for geoengineering

With tested science and a calculated balance of realism and optimism, Dimming the Sun offers a crucial resource for understanding this growing branch of science, starting a vital conversation that could well have global consequences.