The Plot to Cool the Planet. Sam Bleicher

depend. Indonesia and The Philippines will lose many of their smaller islands, creating refugees and disruptive diplomatic controversies over international land and sea boundaries.

      Monsoons, unpredictable weather, and the loss of many beneficial animal and insect species will decimate agricultural production around the world, even on higher ground. Hundreds of thousands of fishermen and farmers in coastal areas in Bangladesh will lose everything. Many thousands of people have already lost everything in low-lying island states like Seychelles and the Maldives.

      These developments will create massive refugee outflows that will make the exodus from famine-plagued and war-torn countries like Syria and Somalia look like small problems. Many refugees will try to come to Singapore, probably more than any other developed state in the region.

      The international community will pressure us to take in more refugees than our public will want to absorb. We have seen what that issue has done to the political balance in the US, the UK, France, and Germany.

      If successful, this SRM project could postpone and mitigate these disasters. By the time the world’s governments find out about it and track down the source of the funds—if they ever do—its beneficial effects will be evident to all.

      You will be recognized as a visionary leader who demonstrated the kind of long-range focus and imaginative planning that the Li family has been so proud of. Ignorant, shortsighted politicians in the US and elsewhere will be exposed as the fools they are.

      If you do give your approval, I propose to be watching where the money goes myself. I know the Development Fund’s systems well. The money can be funneled to the project through a secondary bank in Taipei in ways that will not reveal its origin and would be disbursed only when needed.

      The best way to keep close track of the project’s physical progress is for me to join the staff of our embassy in the country where the operations are conducted, ideally on “special assignment” as a midlevel environmental officer with miscellaneous, undefined responsibilities. That may look to others like a demotion from my present position, but I’m willing to take that step.

      As for the threat of corruption, I can’t promise that every penny will be spent in the most efficient manner, but I am proposing to put the funds all in the hands of just one individual, Ambassador Mohamed Ibrahim of the Maldives. I have worked with him for many years now at a variety of international meetings, sometimes as an ally, other times as an opponent. I trust him. He has always done what he said he would do, no tricks, no shading the truth, no last-minute switches or ‘extras.’

      Wang Shu was gilding the lily on Ibrahim’s behalf. Her professional experience with him was not that deep. She did trust his professionalism, however, and the Prime Minister needed comfort on that point.

      Prime Minister Li sat back in his chair. His desire to prove he was not simply the grandson of the late Lee Kwan Yew enticed him to consider this risky, yet dramatic and humanitarian step. He was egotistical enough to want to be recognized as a bold leader in his own right who deserved public support. And he was impressed by Wang’s willingness to put her own career on the line.

      “I can see your arguments. I will sleep on it and give you an answer. But I can’t afford to be reckless with Singapore’s finances or infatuated with a frivolous pet project whose purpose is to make me look important. Don’t get your hopes up.”

      He paused, seeing Wang’s disappointment. “I’m sorry. I was expecting a much happier ending for this meeting.”

      Wang left the Prime Minister’s office utterly dejected. My first high-level diplomatic challenge, and I’ve failed. I gave it my best effort. But the outcome is inevitable. He will say no. The more he thinks about this project, the more of an irrational gamble he’ll realize it is. So all I have done is jeopardize my career and probably dash my prospects for ever becoming an ambassador.

      Four days later, to her surprise, the Prime Minister called Wang back to his office.

      “Good afternoon, Ms. Wang. Please sit down. I’ve thought a lot about your plan. I want you to understand that we can’t just write a blank check. You will need to be informed and involved at every step in the project. If it appears to be getting off track, I will need to know at once, and you must be able to cut off all funding and shut the operation down instantly, even if the money has not run out.

      “Your colleague Mohamed Ibrahim needs to understand our rules at the outset and promise to honor them. No one can know that anyone from Singapore is involved except you two. If the project goes badly, I will disown you as a miscreant, entirely on a frolic of your own. I may even say you profited from your corruption.

      “Finally, you are right that I must assign you to the embassy in the country where the project is being carried out. It certainly will look like a demotion. I can’t make any promises about your future even if the project succeeds.”

      Wang’s intense pleasure at his decision prompted Li to wonder if she was hiding some personal interest in this risky project. Instinctively cautious, he added,