Climatron: Personal Blog of Kyle Vandercamp

In Defence of Nuance
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October 24th, 2009kyleUncategorized

Ken Caldeira - Friendliest-looking scientist ever!

Ken Caldeira has defended himself against misrepresentation in chapter 4 of SuperFreakonomics. This is a fascinating interview, which in tone is so reasonable, clear and cautious, enhanced perhaps by the sense of ambiguity of context in which Caldeira was cited by Dubner and Levitt. What he has to say about the implications of real-world geoengineering is important and should be heard by all, and takes up the last part of the interview in particular.

Listen here, read here.

Tags: geoengineering, Jeff Goodell, ken caldeira, superfreakonomics
The Mentalists
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October 21st, 2009kyleUncategorized

Superfreakonomics cover artwork

O what a day! Wednesday 21 October: cycling home, listening to Leonard Lopate’s interview with the Superfreakonomics authors, I couldn’t believe geoengineering would enter the mainstream as a chapter in a hip book on economics… <shudder>… Followed by Ken Caldeira’s calm defence …. Followed by Levitt’s and Dubner’s good friend Nathan Mhyrvold taking the opportunity to publicise IV Lab’s latest: The Stratoshield!

If ever Geoengineering needed a bigger push into the open, this was it! Bigger than the RS Report, with all the added sugar of how we can change the world’s problems with a garden hose… All published on a Wednesday (”anything can happen day”), just like a perfectly pitched campaign… Geez, fact is definitely stranger than fiction yet again. K

Tags: caldeira, climate change, freakonomics, geoengineering, intellectual ventures lab, mhyrvold, superfreakonomics