Can Dimming the Sun Prevent Climate Catastrophe?

The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says that the earth’s temperature will rise by 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2040 if we don’t curb our greenhouse gas emissions. But what if there was another way — what if we could simply shade the planet from the sun's hot rays? It sounds like something right out of a science fiction movie, but research into making it a reality has recently won some powerful financial backers. Solar geo-engineering, as the idea is called, doesn't just pose environmental and technological challenges, but also questions of international cooperation and governance. 

Dr. Alan Robock, Distinguished Professor of climate science in the Department of Environmental Sciences at Rutgers University, joined us to explain the research, the technology, and the unintended consequences.