Previously published in 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [246]-248) and Index.

The prophet -- A planetary cooler -- God's machine -- Big science -- The blue marble -- Doping the stratosphere -- A little cash on the side -- The romance of clouds -- A global thermostat -- Human nature.

When Jeff Goodell first encountered the term "geoengineering," he had a vague sense that it involved outlandish schemes to counteract global warming. As a journalist, he was deeply skeptical. But he was also intrigued. The planet was in trouble. Could geoengineers help? Climate change may well be the biggest crisis humanity has ever faced. Temperatures in some regions of the world could increase by as much as fifteen degrees by the end of the century, causing rising sea levels and severe droughts. But change could also happen much more suddenly. What if we had a real climate emergency, the ecological equivalent of the subprime mortgage meltdown how could we cool the planet in a hurry.

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