A Brief History of Climate Folly

What to do about the climate? If emissions reduction is too hard and too slow, maybe science can engineer a solution?

It turns out this line of thinking is as old as humanity. From shamanism to cloud-seeding to Cold-War plans to nuke the Arctic ice cap, humans have been trying – or claiming — to influence the weather for millennia.

In this entertaining overview of history’s grandest and silliest attempts at climate change, Tim and Emma Flannery address a very serious question: can we do better in the Anthropocene?

After all, our lives depend on it.

‘An insightful look at current geoengineering proposals and China’s advances in solar energy. Fascinating.’ Canberra Weekly

‘If you’re vaguely aware of stratospheric aerosol injection, solar radiation management, or marine cloud brightening, but couldn’t confidently explain what these fascinating and sometimes frightening climate-altering technologies are, this book is written for you.’ Australian Book Review

‘The Flannerys communicate the science with the fidelity of seasoned palaeontologists without losing the breathless wonder of a seven-year-old talking about sharks at the dinner table...A fascinating read.’ Saturday Paper on Big Meg
'The authors’ passion for their subject matter is contagious..’ ArtsHub on Big Meg