Ep 21: Kim Stanley Robinson on Geoengineering in 'The Ministry For The Future'

The Science in The Fiction

In this episode we are super excited to present our conversation with Kim Stanley Robinson, one of the greatest science fiction writers of all time, whose legacy will surely last deep into our sci-fi future. We discuss his latest book The Ministry for the Future, and some of the many extraordinary ideas in that book for getting humanity through to the other side of the climate crisis. We focus our conversation on various geoengineering projects as well as innovations in economics and monetary policy that will help us get there. We discuss green investment, the merits of non-ideological rhetoric, strategies for managing our carbon over-shoot, and the efficacy of imitating natural processes in both solar radiation management and carbon sequestration. We go into detail about pumping out the lubricating layer of water beneath the world's glaciers in order to stop them from sliding into the ocean, thereby mediating the acceleration of rising sea levels. We also talk about the impracticality of launching solar shades into space to cool down the planet. Finally, we get to ask Stan if he was ever consulted or paid by the Foundation TV series for lifting his iconic space elevator scene from Red Mars, and plonking it into their pilot episode; the answer is no, but he's cool with it.
KimStanleyRobinson.info | The reference site for Kim Stanley Robinson
https://www.kimstanleyrobinson.info/
Kim Stanley Robinson - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Stanley_Robinson
https://www.facebook.com/kimstanleyrobinson/
The Ministry for the Future - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ministry_for_the_Future
The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson | Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/50998056

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