David Keith studies our climate, and the many ideas we've come up with to fix it. A wildly original thinker, he challenges us to look at climate solutions that may seem daring, sometimes even shocking.
Why you should listen
Environmental scientist David Keith works at the intersection of climate science, way-new energy, and public power. His research has taken him into some far-out realms of geoengineering -- dramatic, cheap, sometimes shocking solutions to a warming atmosphere, such as blowing a Mt. Pinatubo-size cloud of sulfur into the sky to bring the global temperature down.
His other areas of study include the capture and storage of CO2 , the economics and climatic impacts of large-scale wind power , and the use of hydrogen as a transportation fuel. Another interest: How we make decisions when we don't have reliable scholarly data.
He teaches at the University of Calgary, and was named Environmental Scientist of the Year by Canadian Geographic in 2006.
What others say
[Keith is] an original thinker in the field of climate science and one of the world's most accomplished energy-policy analysts
David Keith’s TED Talk
More news and ideas from David Keith
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Climate geo-engineering tactics, ranked by cost, risk, awfulness
October 28, 2008
Last fall, scientist and provocateur David Keith offered one of the most conversation-provoking TEDTalks ever — calmly discussing ideas for geo-engineering our climate that border on shocking (like shooting a cloud of sulphurous particles into the stratosphere to simulate the cooling effects of a major volcanic eruption). It’s a scary subject, but as Keith pointed […]
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Geo-engineering to slow global warming: David Keith on TED.com
November 13, 2007
Environmental scientist David Keith talks about a cheap, effective, shocking solution to climate change: What if we injected a huge cloud of particles into the atmosphere, to deflect sunlight and heat? As an emergency measure to slow a melting ice cap, it could work. Keith discusses why geo-engineering like this is a good idea, why […]
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TED Salon: Further reading
September 29, 2007
Some selected source material and references from Wednesday night’s TED Salon: David Keith (pictured, left) showed a New York Times editorial on the coming climate change — from May 24, 1953: How Industry May Change ClimateThe amount of carbon dioxide in the air will double by the year 2080 and raise the temperature an average […]
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