From The Vaults: Techno-Fixes For A Warming Climate

Producer's note: As part of NHPR's week-long look at our renewable energy future, we're revisiting our conversation from January on geo-engineering. Enjoy!

Global temperatures are on the rise and weather patterns changing more quickly than many leading climatologists had anticipated. The international community can't agree on how to legislate carbon, and has failed to curb emissions.

A few years ago, the concept of geo-engineering - deliberately manipulating the climate to counter the effects of climate change - received little traction in the scientific community; it was too risky, politically unacceptable, even downright loopy. Today, a growing number of scientists are calling for a Plan "B", not as an alternative to curbing our emissions, but as a safety net for disaster.

Catherine Brahic is an environmental reporter for the New Scientist, where she's been covering geo-engineering schemes. She joins us to talk about several geo-engineering ideas: from the do-able (ocean fertilization, cloud seeding) to the far-out (putting giant mirrors in space).

Two of Catherine's recent articles:
A high-albedo diet will chill the planet
'Climate fix' ship sets sail with plan to dump iron

(Photo courtesy jurvetson via Flickr/CC)