Canadian professor David Keith wants to have a difficult conversation about how to affordably cool the planet [Video]

Is geoengineering the environment ready for its closeup?

The New York Times thinks so, and a former University of Calgary professor is at the heart of a controversial conversation about how to cool down the planet.

That man, Canadian David Keith, who is a professor of geophysical science at the University of Chicago, was in Calgary last week speaking at Energy Disruptors Unite!, a conference that featured a blend of regulators, industry heavyweights, climate scientists, youthful environmental activists, journalists – and an astronaut.

Over 3,000 paid delegates crowded into the new BMO Centre on the Stampede Grounds to hear from a roster of energy innovators, including former Finnish prime minister Sanna Marin, former New Zealand PM Jacinda Arden, numerous sustainable energy CEOs, former astronaut Ron Garans, activist Nikki Sanchez, representatives from Pathways and other international energy companies – and Sapiens author Yuval Noah Harari, who appeared via hologram.

“Did anyone else notice that the title of this conference is ‘Disruptors Unite’?” Keith asked, after …