The Long Heat: Climate Politics When It’s Too Late

In the bleak but enlightening follow-up to Overshoot, climate scholars Carton and Malm explain that since the world has missed the opportunity to curtail CO2 emissions before they led to dangerous increases in global temperatures, three primary paths forward have emerged: adaptation to the new normal, carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere, or geoengineering to block incoming sunlight and cool down the planet. The authors make the case, however, that all three strategies are misguided, because each encourages continued fossil fuel usage and may lead to consequences every bit as dire as the existential threat posed by global warming. Efforts to remove CO2 from the atmosphere, for example, are fruitless if the removed molecules are sent back into the ground to enhance oil production. Similarly, geoengineering strategies designed to reduce solar radiation reaching Earth’s surface will have to continue for centuries, and if they’re ever terminated, the heat would come rushing back. The authors’ conclusion is as straightforward as it is dire: “Nothing can save us other than an avalanche in the prevailing order.” They urge an immediate end to the use of fossil fuels and encourage state-run carbon removal efforts. It’s a startling and persuasive call to action. (Oct.)