Enhanced Weathering
EW
Finely ground “climate rocks” such as olivine and basalt are spread on land, where they react with CO2 and water and lock carbon away permanently as carbonates.
How it works
New from Hope Press · February 4, 2026
The Science of Global Warming
And Four Ways to Fix It
by David E. Comings, M.D.
A well-illustrated, evidence-based account of why climate change and global warming are real and getting progressively worse — and four powerful approaches to removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and oceans.
Synopsis
The evidence — and what we can do about it
Climate change is no longer a distant possibility — it is one of the most significant challenges facing our world today. In The Science of Global Warming: And Four Ways to Fix It, Dr. David Edward Comings presents a clear, evidence-based explanation of the science behind global warming while offering practical solutions that can help address the problem before its consequences become even more severe.
Written in an accessible format, the book examines the scientific evidence supporting climate change, explores the growing impact of rising carbon dioxide levels, and outlines four powerful approaches for reducing global warming. Readers will discover how individuals, communities, policymakers and even fossil fuel companies can play a meaningful role in removing CO2 from the atmosphere.
One innovative approach suggests a way in which fossil fuel companies can profitably participate in the solution, and a method by which individual citizens can help remove CO2 from the atmosphere. Whether you are a student, educator, environmental advocate, policymaker or concerned citizen, this book provides valuable insight into one of the most important issues of our time.
“Climate change and global warming are real, not a hoax, and will be a great danger to our children and grandchildren.”
— from the author's summary of the book
What readers will learn
Key ideas, with page references
Drawn from the author's own brief summary of the book. Page numbers refer to the printed edition.
- Atmospheric CO2 has risen from 315 ppm when Mauna Loa measurements began in 1959 to about 465 ppm today. pp. 2, 14
- Both the amount and the rate of increase of CO2 are rising — from 1.0 ppm a year in 1967 to 3.5 ppm a year in 2025. pp. 14–15
- Carbon-isotope evidence (C12 and C13) shows the added CO2 comes from burning fossil fuels. pp. 24–26
- The Earth's heat imbalance is driven by greenhouse gases and the loss of albedo as glaciers and sea ice melt. pp. 76–83
- Warming oceans, which hold 50 times as much CO2 as the atmosphere, can release CO2 in a feedback loop the author argues continues even after net zero. p. 224
- The risks of further warming, from heat extremes and sea-level rise to permafrost methane and AMOC disruption. pp. 32–86
- Why a massive, worldwide carbon-dioxide-removal (CDR) program is needed — and four ways to achieve it. pp. 19–20, 136–146; chs. 9–10
- How concerned individuals can help. p. 207
The four fixes
Four Approaches. One Global Challenge.
Each card separates established science from the author's proposals, so readers can see where evidence ends and new ideas begin.
Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement
OAE
Adding alkaline minerals such as CaO, MgO or Mg(OH)₂ to seawater lets the ocean absorb more CO2 and store it as dissolved carbonate — while countering acidification.
How it worksElectrolysis-Enhanced OAE
eOAE
Electrolysis is used together with olivine to speed up ocean alkalinity enhancement and improve its efficiency.
How it worksDirect Ocean CO₂ Removal
eOAE2 · “e2”
A hybrid of two electrolysis techniques removes CO2 directly from seawater as carbonates and returns alkalized water to the sea — no mining, no burial.
How it works01
EW
Enhanced Weathering
Ultramafic and mafic rocks — which the author calls climate rocks — naturally combine with CO2 and water to form stable carbonates. Grinding them to around 1 µm increases their surface area enormously, speeding a reaction that takes thousands of years in nature to as little as several weeks. The mineralized carbon is stored safely above ground.
Mg₂SiO₄ + 4CO₂ + 4H₂O → 2Mg²⁺ + 4HCO₃⁻ + H₄SiO₄ (olivine + CO₂ + water → carbonates + silicates)
Established science
Silicate weathering is a natural part of the carbon cycle: 99.94% of the Earth's carbon is stored in mineral form, and this chemistry helped keep the Earth from becoming an oven like Venus.
The author's proposal
Mine, grind (using renewable energy) and spread gigatons of climate rocks on croplands and other land each year — including a drone program through which NGOs and individual citizens could spread rock dust.
Practical implications: Removing 10 Gt of CO2 would require mining at least 10 Gt of rock — more than the roughly 7.9 Gt of coal mined worldwide each year — so the author calls for an international, Manhattan-Project-scale effort. Applied to cropland, EW can improve rather than remove farmland.
Read “How to Combat Global Warming” (PDF)02
OAE
Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement
Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement raises the alkalinity of seawater so that the ocean can take up more carbon dioxide from the air and hold it in stable dissolved form. Early proposals used ground olivine; the author notes that computer modeling suggests CaO, MgO and Mg(OH)₂ are more effective and safe. CaO and MgO can be obtained from mine tailings, and Mg(OH)₂ can be generated in large quantities from olivine.
Established science
The oceans already hold about 50 times as much CO2 as the atmosphere, and ocean acidification, warming and deoxygenation are documented threats to marine life and the billions of people who depend on the sea.
The author's proposal
Deploy OAE at gigaton scale as a safe, permanent alternative to burying CO2 gas — one that also helps combat ocean acidification and the loss of coral reefs.
Practical implications: Like EW, OAE depends on large-scale mining and processing of minerals, and its storage is in the ocean rather than underground.
Read the Addendum (PDF)03
eOAE
Electrolysis-Enhanced OAE
Electrolysis-assisted OAE combines olivine with electrolysis to accelerate the process and make it more efficient. The author proposes that eOAE units could be installed on ships, bringing the treatment to the ocean.
Established science
Electrochemical methods for changing seawater chemistry are an active area of research in carbon-dioxide removal.
The author's proposal
Mount eOAE units on ships powered by renewable energy — potentially crewed and operated by NGOs and non-profits on inexpensive catamarans.
Practical implications: Requires both olivine supply and substantial electrical energy, which the author suggests could come from solar, wind and potentially modular nuclear or molten salt reactors.
Read the Addendum (PDF)04
eOAE2 · “e2”
Direct Ocean CO₂ Removal
eOAE2 — or simply e2 — combines one electrolysis process that removes CO2 from seawater and converts it to mineral carbonates (La Plante et al., 2021, 2023) with a second that produces an alkali such as NaOH to alkalinize the seawater returned to the ocean, so it can absorb more CO2. Both reactions produce hydrogen, which can be used in fuel cells to offset part of the electricity needed.
Established science
The electrochemical removal of CO2 from seawater as carbonates has been demonstrated in published research (La Plante et al., 2021, 2023).
The author's proposal
Power e2 on ships or barges docked at floating solar and wind-turbine islands placed in ocean currents — and potentially retrofit nuclear-powered naval vessels — to sequester gigatons of CO2 at low ongoing cost.
Practical implications: The author describes e2 as an ideal approach because it requires no burial of CO2 gas, no mining of climate rocks and no foreign substances added to the ocean — but it needs large amounts of electricity.
Read the Addendum (PDF)Why not simply bury the CO2? Direct Air Capture with underground Sequestration (DACS) is currently the most widely funded approach. The foundation's report argues that at gigaton scale it carries high energy costs and the risk of deadly leaks, and that safe, permanent alternatives storing carbon in mineral form above ground or in the ocean are needed alongside it. Read the Addendum (PDF)
The purpose of this book
In the author's words
The aims of the book, as printed on its back cover.
- To show climate change deniers that science strongly supports that climate change is real, is caused by the burning of fossil fuels, and that the resultant global warming may soon be a threat to the well-being of every inhabitant on this planet.
- For those who are not deniers and who are very concerned about global warming, to provide the science supporting the fact that if the warming is not halted, our planet faces multiple looming disasters.
- To convince those few who have the resources to help, i.e. billionaires, that there are at least four powerful approaches to combating global warming and ocean acidification that they could assist with — three of which combined have the potential of removing 10 to 20 gigatons of CO2 from the atmosphere each year, and safely sequestering it.
- To show that the average citizen may soon be able to help in the removal and safe sequestration of atmospheric CO2 through an enhanced weathering drone program.
- By sending copies to every member of Congress and the White House, to convince the administration to change course and launch a full-press, Manhattan-type project (“the Phoenix Project”) to free the Earth from the devastations of global warming.
Post-printing additions
The book, kept up to date
“So many new things relevant to this book kept coming up” that Dr. Comings publishes seasonal reports covering new research and events since publication. Free to download.
Fall 2025
75 pages · 42 topics
- Greenland ice sheets melting faster than expected
- Climate sensitivity and the RCP8.5 trajectory
- COP-30: what happened
Winter 2025
18 pages · 15 topics
- Global ocean warming hits a new record
- China's emissions are leveling off
- Arctic warming will persist
Spring 2026
13 pages · 16 topics
- Global warming has accelerated significantly
- Gulf Stream changes and the AMOC
- Sea levels 1 to 3 feet higher than thought
Summer 2026
88 pages · 39 topics
- The strongest El Niño ever
- Fastest Antarctic glacier retreat in modern history
- August ties the record for hottest month
Hear the author
Podcast conversations about the book
Global Book NetworkJuly 3, 2026
Global Book Network — David E. Comings, M.D., Author of The Science of Global Warming
Host: Flobo Boyce, Global Book Network · 25 min
Dr. Comings explores the scientific principles behind climate change, the evidence for global warming, and the four approaches he presents for addressing it.
Marketer of the DayJuly 22, 2026
Global Warming Solutions and Climate Action with Dr. David E. Comings
Host: Robert Plank · 23 min
Episode 1618 of the Robert Plank Show: moving past fear, politics and denial to practical, science-based climate solutions.
The Chris Voss ShowAugust 11, 2026
The Chris Voss Show Podcast — Dr. David Edward Comings, M.D.
Host: Chris Voss · 32 min
A conversation with Dr. Comings about The Science of Global Warming and what can be done to reverse it.
Related research
Go deeper
The peer-reviewed papers and reports behind the book's arguments.
Climate Science2024
Is the Earth Now in a Multifactorial CO2 Tipping Point? The Case for More Aggressive Carbon Dioxide Removal
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health, Vol. 12, No. 06, pp. 01–10 (2024) · Open access
Argues that even if no single climate tipping point has been fully activated, the additive effect of many partially activated tipping points has begun and could lead to an irreversible positive feedback loop — and that the way out is to activate multiple Negative Emission Technologies globally.
Climate Science2025
The Earth's Deadly CO2 Global Warming Feedback Loop
International Journal of Environmental Sciences, Vol. 11, No. 5, p. 452 (2025)
Brings to public attention scientific observations rarely highlighted in climate discussions: a CO2 feedback loop, driven by ocean warming, that the author argues will keep atmospheric CO2 rising even after net-zero emissions.
Carbon RemovalUndated
How to Combat Global Warming
Dr. David Comings · The Comings Foundation
A science-based, 390-page assessment of six Negative Emission Technologies able to work at the many-hundred-gigaton level — DACS, in-situ mineralization, Enhanced Weathering, OAE, eOAE and eOAE2 — and the case for adding the last four to direct air capture.
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