Plan C for Civilization

As the controversial planet-cooling technology called solar geo-engineering moves out of the lab and into a planet in the throes of a climate meltdown, it carries deep uncertainty. Part thriller, part wake-up call, the film asks whether or not we can still afford to ignore this powerful but mad idea.

Leading scientist David Keith has spent the past 30 years researching geo-engineering. It’s fast, it’s cheap, he knows for certain that it will work, and he’s ready to start. But as Al Gore put it, solar geo-engineering is also “utterly mad.” As this powerful idea moves out of the lab and into a planet in the throes of a climate meltdown, it carries deep uncertainty. With time running out for humans, Plan C for Civilization reveals the hidden world of climate tech — and asks whether or not we can afford to ignore one of the most controversial ideas on Earth. Are some ideas too risky to explore, or is it time to turn to Plan C?

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THE BIGGER PICTURE

Technology's Solution for the Climate: Fluff, Bluff or Remedy?

From geo-engineering to paleo-ice sheet reconstruction, our guests discuss science’s big ideas to repair or compensate for human-made damage to our planet. Do-ability, cost, benefits and risks. Come with your questions, and together we will learn a whole lot!

Guest: Dimitri Zenghelis (world-renowned climate economist, advisor to governments, businesses and international organisations), Hannah E. Daly (UCC Professor in Sustainable Energy); Moderator: Aurélie Godet. In partnership with University College Cork.