Compton Lecture Series: An Intro to Climate Systems Engineering

An Introduction to Climate Systems Engineering is a multidisciplinary exploration of emerging approaches to reduce climate change itself and mitigate some of its risks. Featuring talks by leading researchers from the University of Chicago’s Climate Systems Engineering initiative (CSEI), this series will examine the science, technologies, and policy implications behind large-scale interventions such as sunlight reflection methods (SRM), open-systems carbon removal, and glacial preservation.

Lecture 1 - Climate as a 4D Problem

David Keith introduces the series, outlining the four dimensions of climate action: decarbonization, carbon removal, sunlight reflection, and adaptation; the four tools that can weaken the causal chain that stretches from economic activity to the impacts of climate change on humans and nature.

Lecture 2 - Fossil Carbon: A Waste Management Perspective

David Archer introduces the carbon cycle and natural geochemical processes as a basis for explaining how humans might intervene in these cycles to deliberately remove carbon, reversing the accumulation of carbon dioxide from fossil fuel combustion.

Lecture 3 - Climate Models

Tiffany Shaw explains the scientific basis for predicting how the climate changes in response to emissions of greenhouse gases and aerosol pollution and examines what climate models can and cannot tell us about what to expect.

Lecture 4 - Carbon Removal: A Deep Dive into the Methods

B. B. Cael details approaches to carbon removal, including ocean alkalinity enhancement, land-based methods, bioenergy with carbon capture, and direct air capture with storage.

Lecture 5 - Sunlight Reflection Methods (SRM) Part 1: How to Reflect Sunlight

David Keith provides an overview of sunlight reflection methods (SRM), the history of SRM, and why stratospheric aerosols like sulfur are central to climate systems engineering approaches.

Lecture 6 - Glaciers and a Journey Through Direct Air Capture

Doug MacAyeal discusses the science of glaciers and introduces interventions to prevent glacial melt. David Keith recounts his experience developing technologies for direct air capture at Carbon Engineering, and draws critical lessons about the role of cleantech start-up companies in developing climate-tech.

Lecture 7 - Sunlight Reflection Methods (SRM) Part 2: Consequences

David Keith and Tiffany Shaw review the expected climate responses to SRM, potential side effects, and what can be learned from past aerosol pollution, highlighting the limits and uncertainties of experiments.

Lecture 8 - Climate Systems Engineering in Context

David Keith wraps up the Compton Lectures, discusses the overall field of climate systems engineering, and speculates about its future.