David Keith

Who is David Keith?

David W. Keith is a Canadian environmental scientist. He is Gordon McKay Professor of Applied Physics, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Professor of Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University. He is president of Carbon Engineering, based in Calgary, which works on ways to capture carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere. Keith has worked in carbon dioxide air capture. In 2006, Keith was selected by Canadian Geographic as Environmental Scientist of the Year.

In 2013, Keith released a book, A Case for Climate Engineering, detailing a controversial strategy for slowing climate change. In it, Keith argued that spraying additional sulfate or sulfuric acid aerosols in the upper atmosphere would create a reflective shield that would slow down the rate of climate change and buy humans time to curb emissions and instill more sustainable behavior. He estimates the cost at $1 billion per year; he predicted that, without action, climate change would cost at least $1 trillion a year by 2050.