The climate crisis is escalating.

Global efforts to limit climate change are way off track.

A planet is drying at an unprecedented pace, presenting a critical threat to humanity.

We have to decarbonize our economy, but we're moving too slowly.

So what's the backup plan?

I mean, the goal is to cool Earth as quickly as we safely can.

We're going to launch some balloons and send them into the stratosphere.

I'm Amy Scott, and this season of how we survive is all about engineering nature,

large-scale interventions that could be our last hope.

Are you talking about darkening the sky?

So a constellation of sunshades would cast an even dimming of shade across the entire Earth.

We're exploring ideas for cooling the planet that are out there, like really out there.

Investing that much in building anything in space creates a whole space economy.

And talking with entrepreneurs trying to bring these ideas to life.

The only thing worse than a private company doing this is no one doing this at all.

Do either of you have a science background? We don't.

If we do this, this is a decision that will affect all life on the planet.

All's we are, our guinea pigs in their laboratory.

They really don't want scrutiny.

Because if you look at it closely and you start to peel the onion,

you find some really, really smelly, rotten sections underneath.

On our exploration for solutions, we'll also meet some animals.

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