Skip to Main Content

Can We Cool the Planet?

Can We Cool the Planet?

As global temperatures rise, scientists are exploring solutions from planting trees to sucking carbon out of the air to geoengineering. But would they work? And what are the risks of engineering Earth's climate?
Season 47 Episode 16 Length 53:31 Premiere: 10.28.20

Brought to you by:

National Corporate funding for NOVA is provided by Brilliant.org. Major funding for NOVA is provided by the David H. Koch Fund for Science, the NOVA Science Trust, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

Recent Episodes

A promotional shot of the two main cast characters.A promotional shot of the two main cast characters.

Clips & Previews

Specials

Program Details

NOVA

About NOVA

NOVA brings you stories from the frontlines of science and engineering, answering the big questions of today and tomorrow, from how our ancestors lived, to whether parallel universes exist, to how technology will transform our lives. Visit the official website to watch full-length documentaries, or explore our world through short-form video, on our digital publication NOVA Next.

TV Schedules

Jump to Recent Airdates

Upcoming

Ancient Maya Metropolis

NOVA investigates why the ancient Maya abandoned the magnificent cities they had lived in for centuries.

  • Sunday January 30, 2022 7:00 pm ET on KET2
  • Sunday January 30, 2022 6:00 pm CT on KET2
  • Tuesday February 1, 2022 3:00 am ET on KET2
  • Tuesday February 1, 2022 2:00 am CT on KET2

Arctic Sinkholes

Scientists investigate colossal explosions in Siberia and other evidence that rapidly melting soil in the Arctic is releasing vast amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

  • Wednesday February 2, 2022 9:00 pm ET on KET
  • Wednesday February 2, 2022 8:00 pm CT on KET
  • Thursday February 3, 2022 1:00 pm ET on KET
  • Thursday February 3, 2022 12:00 pm CT on KET
  • Friday February 4, 2022 2:00 am ET on KET
  • Friday February 4, 2022 1:00 am CT on KET
  • Sunday February 6, 2022 7:00 pm ET on KET2
  • Sunday February 6, 2022 6:00 pm CT on KET2
  • Tuesday February 8, 2022 3:00 am ET on KET2
  • Tuesday February 8, 2022 2:00 am CT on KET2

Secrets in the Scat

From wombats to whales, biologist Scott Burnett analyzes animal feces to learn more about animal behavior, adaptation and survival.

  • Wednesday February 9, 2022 9:00 pm ET on KET
  • Wednesday February 9, 2022 8:00 pm CT on KET
  • Thursday February 10, 2022 1:00 pm ET on KET
  • Thursday February 10, 2022 12:00 pm CT on KET
  • Friday February 11, 2022 2:00 am ET on KET
  • Friday February 11, 2022 1:00 am CT on KET
  • Sunday February 13, 2022 7:00 pm ET on KET2
  • Sunday February 13, 2022 6:00 pm CT on KET2
  • Tuesday February 15, 2022 3:00 am ET on KET2
  • Tuesday February 15, 2022 2:00 am CT on KET2

Great Mammoth Mystery

Sir David Attenborough explores a unique site in southern England with rare traces of Ice Age mammoths and Neanderthals. How did humans survive the frigid climate and did they have the tools and talent to hunt the giant beasts?

  • Wednesday February 16, 2022 9:00 pm ET on KET
  • Wednesday February 16, 2022 8:00 pm CT on KET
  • Thursday February 17, 2022 1:00 pm ET on KET
  • Thursday February 17, 2022 12:00 pm CT on KET
  • Friday February 18, 2022 2:00 am ET on KET
  • Friday February 18, 2022 1:00 am CT on KET
  • Sunday February 20, 2022 7:00 pm ET on KET2
  • Sunday February 20, 2022 6:00 pm CT on KET2
  • Tuesday February 22, 2022 3:00 am ET on KET2
  • Tuesday February 22, 2022 2:00 am CT on KET2

Augmented

An inventor of bionic limbs teams up with an injured climber and a leading surgeon to test a new amputation technique that allows prosthetic limbs to move and feel like the real thing.

  • Wednesday February 23, 2022 9:00 pm ET on KET
  • Wednesday February 23, 2022 8:00 pm CT on KET
  • Thursday February 24, 2022 12:00 pm ET on KET
  • Thursday February 24, 2022 11:00 am CT on KET
  • Friday February 25, 2022 2:00 am ET on KET
  • Friday February 25, 2022 1:00 am CT on KET
  • Sunday February 27, 2022 7:00 pm ET on KET2
  • Sunday February 27, 2022 6:00 pm CT on KET2
  • Tuesday March 1, 2022 3:00 am ET on KET2
  • Tuesday March 1, 2022 2:00 am CT on KET2
Jump to Upcoming Airdates

Recent

Ancient Maya Metropolis

  • Friday January 28, 2022 2:00 am ET on KET
  • Friday January 28, 2022 1:00 am CT on KET
  • Thursday January 27, 2022 1:00 pm ET on KET
  • Thursday January 27, 2022 12:00 pm CT on KET
  • Wednesday January 26, 2022 9:00 pm ET on KET
  • Wednesday January 26, 2022 8:00 pm CT on KET

Alaskan Dinosaurs

  • Tuesday January 25, 2022 3:00 am ET on KET2
  • Tuesday January 25, 2022 2:00 am CT on KET2
  • Sunday January 23, 2022 7:00 pm ET on KET2
  • Sunday January 23, 2022 6:00 pm CT on KET2
  • Friday January 21, 2022 2:00 am ET on KET
  • Friday January 21, 2022 1:00 am CT on KET
  • Thursday January 20, 2022 1:00 pm ET on KET
  • Thursday January 20, 2022 12:00 pm CT on KET
  • Wednesday January 19, 2022 9:00 pm ET on KET
  • Wednesday January 19, 2022 8:00 pm CT on KET

Butterfly Blueprints

  • Tuesday January 18, 2022 3:00 am ET on KET2
  • Tuesday January 18, 2022 2:00 am CT on KET2
  • Sunday January 16, 2022 7:00 pm ET on KET2
  • Sunday January 16, 2022 6:00 pm CT on KET2
  • Friday January 14, 2022 2:00 am ET on KET
  • Friday January 14, 2022 1:00 am CT on KET
  • Thursday January 13, 2022 1:00 pm ET on KET
  • Thursday January 13, 2022 12:00 pm CT on KET
  • Wednesday January 12, 2022 9:00 pm ET on KET
  • Wednesday January 12, 2022 8:00 pm CT on KET

High-Risk High-Rise - S48 E8

  • Tuesday January 11, 2022 3:00 am ET on KET2
  • Tuesday January 11, 2022 2:00 am CT on KET2
  • Sunday January 9, 2022 7:00 pm ET on KET2
  • Sunday January 9, 2022 6:00 pm CT on KET2
  • Friday January 7, 2022 2:00 am ET on KET
  • Friday January 7, 2022 1:00 am CT on KET
  • Thursday January 6, 2022 1:00 pm ET on KET
  • Thursday January 6, 2022 12:00 pm CT on KET
  • Wednesday January 5, 2022 9:03 pm ET on KET
  • Wednesday January 5, 2022 8:03 pm CT on KET

Secrets of the Forbidden City - S44 E15

  • Tuesday January 4, 2022 3:00 am ET on KET2
  • Tuesday January 4, 2022 2:00 am CT on KET2
  • Sunday January 2, 2022 7:00 pm ET on KET2
  • Sunday January 2, 2022 6:00 pm CT on KET2
  • Friday December 31, 2021 2:00 am ET on KET
  • Friday December 31, 2021 1:00 am CT on KET
  • Thursday December 30, 2021 1:00 pm ET on KET
  • Thursday December 30, 2021 12:00 pm CT on KET
  • Wednesday December 29, 2021 9:00 pm ET on KET
  • Wednesday December 29, 2021 8:00 pm CT on KET

Decoding the Great Pyramid - S46 E4

  • Tuesday December 28, 2021 3:00 am ET on KET2
  • Tuesday December 28, 2021 2:00 am CT on KET2
Top

Season 47 Episodes

CRISPR Gene-Editing Reality Check
S47 E111 Length 19:13 Premiere Date 9.4.20

Beyond the Elements: Life
S47 E19 Length 53:17 Premiere Date 2.17.21

Beyond the Elements: Indestructible
S47 E18 Length 53:17 Premiere Date 2.10.21

Beyond the Elements: Reactions
S47 E17 Length 53:17 Premiere Date 2.3.21

Can We Cool the Planet?
S47 E16 Length 53:31 Premiere Date 10.28.20

Touching the Asteroid
S47 E15 Length 54:03 Premiere Date 10.21.20

A to Z: How Writing Changed the World
S47 E14 Length 53:31 Premiere Date 9.30.20

A to Z: The First Alphabet
S47 E13 Length 54:01 Premiere Date 9.23.20

Secret Mind of Slime
S47 E12 Length 53:17 Premiere Date 9.16.20

Human Nature
S47 E11 Length 1:33:41 Premiere Date 9.9.20

Decoding COVID-19
S47 E10 Length 53:38 Premiere Date 5.13.20

Nature's Fear Factor
S47 E9 Length 53:32 Premiere Date 10.14.20

Saving Notre Dame
S47 E8 Length 53:52 Premiere Date 11.25.20

Eagle Power
S47 E7 Length 53:40 Premiere Date 5.20.20

The Truth About Fat
S47 E6 Length 53:38 Premiere Date 4.8.20

Cuba's Cancer Hope
S47 E5 Length 53:09 Premiere Date 4.1.20

Mysteries of Sleep
S47 E4 Length 53:14 Premiere Date 2.26.20

Cat Tales
S47 E3 Length 53:40 Premiere Date 2.19.20

Dog Tales
S47 E2 Length 54:11 Premiere Date 2.12.20

Polar Extremes
S47 E1 Length 1:53:06 Premiere Date 2.5.20

Can We Cool the Planet? Promo
Preview Length 00:28 Premiere Date 10.28.20

How Much Coal Do People Burn Each Year?
Clip Length 02:13 Premiere Date 10.28.20

How Much Coal do People Burn Each Year?
Clip Length 02:13 Premiere Date 10.28.20

What is Solar Geoengineering and Why is it Controversial?
Clip Length 04:16 Premiere Date 10.28.20

What is Solar Geoengineering and Why is it Controversial?
Clip Length 04:16 Premiere Date 10.28.20

Meet the NASA Scientist Who Uses Lasers to Study Forests
Clip Length 04:05 Premiere Date 10.28.20

Antarctica: Journey to the Bottom of the Earth
Clip Length 14:11 Premiere Date 1.29.20

How Antarctica’s Cutest Baby Seals Grow Up
Clip Length 10:50 Premiere Date 2.5.20

Why is this Antarctic Glacier “Bleeding?”
Clip Length 10:00 Premiere Date 2.11.20

What is it Like to Live in Antarctica?
Clip Length 09:41 Premiere Date 2.26.20

Three Solutions That Can Slow or Stop Climate Change
Clip Length 04:21 Premiere Date 6.4.20

Cutting our Greenhouse Gas Emissions to Zero
Clip Length 04:52 Premiere Date 6.19.20

Can Geoengineering “Undo” Climate Change?
Clip Length 04:41 Premiere Date 6.24.20

Specials

Picture a Scientist (with Audio Description)
Length 1:52:37 Premiere Date 4.14.21

Looking for Life on Mars (with Audio Description)
Length 53:46 Premiere Date 2.24.21

Beyond the Elements: Life (with Audio Description)
Length 53:17 Premiere Date 2.17.21

Beyond the Elements: Indestructible (with Audio Description)
Length 53:17 Premiere Date 2.10.21

Beyond the Elements: Reactions (with Audio Description)
Length 53:17 Premiere Date 2.3.21

Secrets in our DNA (with Audio Description)
Length 53:26 Premiere Date 1.13.21

Treasures Metals Eiffel Tower
Length 02:09 Premiere Date 12.9.16

A Labyrinth of Lava
Length 01:13 Premiere Date 11.2.15

Ancient Life
Length 00:28 Premiere Date 10.22.15

Millions of Years Captured in Chalk
Length 01:17 Premiere Date 10.22.15

A Fourteen-Foot Fish From Kansas
Length 01:38 Premiere Date 10.22.15

Hell Creek Formation
Length 01:10 Premiere Date 10.22.15

No Dinosaurs Above the Line
Length 02:00 Premiere Date 10.22.15

Mammal Survivors
Length 01:40 Premiere Date 10.22.15

Dinosaur Fossils
Length 01:53 Premiere Date 10.22.15

King of Gore
Length 02:00 Premiere Date 10.22.15

Driving Dinosaur Diversity
Length 01:47 Premiere Date 10.22.15

Pangea
Length 00:56 Premiere Date 10.22.15

Making Granite From Volcanic Rock
Length 02:16 Premiere Date 10.22.15

A Massive Volcanic Eruption
Length 01:14 Premiere Date 10.22.15

From Mud to Rock
Length 01:36 Premiere Date 10.22.15

Finding Stromatolites
Length 01:23 Premiere Date 10.22.15

Stromatolites Were Kings
Length 01:05 Premiere Date 10.22.15

From Lava to Land
Length 02:14 Premiere Date 10.21.15

Semi-Precious Pebbles
Length 00:57 Premiere Date 10.21.15

Five Steps of Volcanic Rock
Length 00:26 Premiere Date 10.21.15

Tearing North America Apart
Length 01:01 Premiere Date 10.21.15

Fossilized Sand Dunes
Length 01:15 Premiere Date 10.21.15

Volcanoes of Sand
Length 01:33 Premiere Date 10.21.15

Rockies 2.0
Length 02:00 Premiere Date 10.21.15

Manhattan Schist
Length 01:13 Premiere Date 10.21.15

Manhattan Skyline
Length 00:52 Premiere Date 10.21.15

New York's Mountains
Length 01:13 Premiere Date 10.21.15

Rock Time Capsules
Length 01:18 Premiere Date 10.21.15

The Sandstone Top of the Canyon
Length 01:15 Premiere Date 10.21.15

Fossil-Filled Limestone
Length 00:54 Premiere Date 10.21.15

The Grand Canyon's Oldest Rocks
Length 00:19 Premiere Date 10.21.15

Gooseberry Falls 1
Length 00:57 Premiere Date 8.2.15

Gooseberry Falls 2
Length 00:24 Premiere Date 8.2.15

Gooseberry Falls 3
Length 01:06 Premiere Date 8.2.15

Gooseberry Falls 4
Length 01:01 Premiere Date 8.2.15

Mount Kilauea
Length 01:30 Premiere Date 8.2.15

Grand Canyon 1
Length 01:19 Premiere Date 8.2.15

Grand Canyon 2
Length 01:05 Premiere Date 8.2.15

Grand Canyon 3
Length 00:58 Premiere Date 8.2.15

Grand Canyon 4
Length 00:19 Premiere Date 8.2.15

Mendenhall Glacier
Length 02:51 Premiere Date 8.2.15

Monument Rocks 1
Length 01:18 Premiere Date 8.2.15

Monument Rocks 2
Length 01:48 Premiere Date 8.2.15

Exuma Cays 1
Length 01:26 Premiere Date 8.2.15

Exuma Cays 3
Length 00:28 Premiere Date 8.2.15

Exuma Cays 4
Length 03:22 Premiere Date 8.2.15

Lethal Seas Excerpt 1
Length 04:11 Premiere Date 5.12.15

Lethal Seas Excerpt 2
Length 01:00 Premiere Date 5.12.15

Lethal Seas Excerpt 3
Length 00:35 Premiere Date 5.12.15

Lethal Seas Excerpt 4
Length 00:51 Premiere Date 5.12.15

The Mother of Hubble
Length 02:28 Premiere Date 4.14.15

Formation of a Typhoon
Length 01:34 Premiere Date 6.25.14

Flatfish Larvae
Length 00:51 Premiere Date 5.6.14

RNAi Explained
Length 01:47 Premiere Date 4.22.14

Dolphin Mirror
Length 03:18 Premiere Date 4.22.14

Dogs' Sense of Time
Length 01:28 Premiere Date 4.13.14

Cockatoo Excerpt
Length 01:30 Premiere Date 4.8.14

How Solar Cells Work
Length 00:33 Premiere Date 2.26.14

Solar Power's Promise
Length 00:51 Premiere Date 2.26.14

Microneedle
Length 01:41 Premiere Date 12.30.13

GM Plants
Length 01:27 Premiere Date 11.15.13

Non-Newtonian Gel
Length 01:00 Premiere Date 11.15.13

Soft-Story Buildings
Length 07:36 Premiere Date 11.13.13

Therapeutic Hypothermia 3
Length 01:43 Premiere Date 10.24.13

Therapeutic Hypothermia 4
Length 02:01 Premiere Date 10.24.13

Levitation
Length 00:50 Premiere Date 10.24.13

Superconductor
Length 01:47 Premiere Date 10.24.13

Animal Robot 1
Length 02:35 Premiere Date 10.24.13

Animal Robot 2
Length 02:02 Premiere Date 10.24.13

Therapeutic Hypothermia
Length 01:11 Premiere Date 10.24.13

Therapeutic Hypothermia 2
Length 01:07 Premiere Date 10.24.13

Swarming Robots
Length 01:31 Premiere Date 10.21.13

Sneak Peek: Making Stuff Wilder
Length 06:14 Premiere Date 10.21.13

DNA Patch
Length 01:19 Premiere Date 10.19.13

DNA Vaccine
Length 00:38 Premiere Date 10.19.13

Earthquake Test
Length 02:03 Premiere Date 10.19.13

David Drives
Length 01:27 Premiere Date 10.19.13

Virus Battery
Length 02:21 Premiere Date 10.19.13

Shelley
Length 02:07 Premiere Date 10.19.13

Robot Arm
Length 00:56 Premiere Date 10.19.13

Elephant Arm
Length 01:22 Premiere Date 10.19.13

FinGripper
Length 00:55 Premiere Date 10.19.13

Sail Wing
Length 01:02 Premiere Date 10.19.13

Hydrofoil
Length 01:01 Premiere Date 10.19.13

Chicken Feathers
Length 01:56 Premiere Date 10.19.13

KillaCycle
Length 00:48 Premiere Date 10.19.13

How Batteries Work
Length 00:49 Premiere Date 10.19.13

Muon Detection
Length 01:52 Premiere Date 10.19.13

Muons
Length 01:25 Premiere Date 10.19.13

Plants White
Length 02:11 Premiere Date 10.19.13

Pitcher Plant
Length 01:48 Premiere Date 10.17.13

SLIPS
Length 01:01 Premiere Date 10.17.13

Hagfish
Length 00:51 Premiere Date 10.17.13

Hagfish Defense
Length 01:36 Premiere Date 10.17.13

Slime Clothes
Length 01:00 Premiere Date 10.17.13

New York City One Year Later: Telecommunications
Length 03:14 Premiere Date 10.16.13

Sneak Peek: Making Stuff Faster
Length 05:06 Premiere Date 10.15.13

David's Race
Length 01:28 Premiere Date 10.15.13

Steffen's Plan
Length 01:59 Premiere Date 10.15.13

Traveling Salesman
Length 01:21 Premiere Date 10.15.13

Corkscrew Robot
Length 00:32 Premiere Date 10.10.13

Slow Goldfish
Length 01:39 Premiere Date 10.10.13

Bee Toxin
Length 01:31 Premiere Date 10.10.13

Eye Robot
Length 01:51 Premiere Date 10.10.13

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Length 03:36 Premiere Date 10.7.13

Invisibility Cloak
Length 01:22 Premiere Date 9.24.13

Shape Memory Alloys
Length 00:32 Premiere Date 9.8.13

Jellyfish
Length 00:38 Premiere Date 9.8.13

Bird Wings
Length 01:56 Premiere Date 9.8.13

Shrinking Chips
Length 01:06 Premiere Date 9.5.13

Pizza Transistor
Length 01:34 Premiere Date 9.5.13

Graphene
Length 01:11 Premiere Date 9.5.13

Life-Saving Non-Newtonian Fluids
Length 01:43 Premiere Date 8.29.13

Silicon Transistors
Length 00:50 Premiere Date 8.29.13

Wheat Straw Plastic
Length 01:04 Premiere Date 8.29.13

Solar Leaves
Length 00:53 Premiere Date 8.29.13

Battle Jacket
Length 01:49 Premiere Date 8.29.13

Oobleck
Length 00:40 Premiere Date 8.29.13

Magnetic Oobleck
Length 00:54 Premiere Date 8.29.13

Starling 8
Length 00:44 Premiere Date 7.15.13

sandy-raw-1-2
Length 00:04 Premiere Date 7.8.13

sandy-raw-5-1
Length 01:02 Premiere Date 7.8.13

Chemotherapy Goes Small
Length 01:17 Premiere Date 7.1.13

The Making of a Cloud Old
Length 03:10 Premiere Date 6.30.13

Why So Many Cloud Types?
Length 03:35 Premiere Date 6.30.13

Clouds and Weather
Length 03:21 Premiere Date 6.30.13

Severe Storms
Length 03:37 Premiere Date 6.30.13

The Climate Wild Card
Length 03:02 Premiere Date 6.30.13

Life on Europa?
Length 02:25 Premiere Date 6.9.13

CloudLab_Megastorm_03
Length 01:41 Premiere Date 5.29.13

CloudLab_Megastorm_04
Length 01:43 Premiere Date 5.29.13

CloudLab_Megastorm_05
Length 01:04 Premiere Date 5.29.13

CloudLab_Megastorm_06
Length 00:40 Premiere Date 5.29.13

CloudLab_Megastorm_07
Length 03:07 Premiere Date 5.29.13

CloudLab_Megastorm_01
Length 00:35 Premiere Date 5.28.13

CloudLab_Megastorm_02
Length 00:31 Premiere Date 5.28.13

What Made the 1918 Flu So Deadly?
Length 01:28 Premiere Date 5.13.13

How the 1918 Flu Infected People
Length 00:25 Premiere Date 5.13.13

Fertilizing the Amazon
Length 03:27 Premiere Date 4.21.13

Flu Probabilities
Length 01:53 Premiere Date 4.16.13

Rare Earth Elements
Length 04:17 Premiere Date 4.1.13

CHNOPS: Ingredients for Life
Length 02:36 Premiere Date 3.12.13

Electromagnetic Spectrum
Length 00:44 Premiere Date 2.28.13

MODIS Sensor
Length 00:26 Premiere Date 2.28.13

Solving the Storage Problem
Length 02:26 Premiere Date 10.25.12

Putting Energy to Use Old
Length 02:14 Premiere Date 10.8.12

Explore KET