Geoengineering, or as I prefer to call it, climateering, gets growing attention from people concerned about the atmospheric carbon problem. If we can't cut back carbon emissions by using less and changing our industrial diet, then what should we do to treat what we couldn't prevent? It's the same problem faced by a morbidly obese patient. We all know that the best solution for the heat-trapping atmosphere (obesity) lies in energy conservation (eating less) and adopting sustainable lifeways (exercising). In that analogy, geoengineering is the bariatric surgery of civilization.
A new report by the Royal Society looking at the surgical options puts the situation in a sobering light. "Our research found that some geoengineering techniques could have serious unintended and detrimental effects on many people and ecosystems—yet we are still failing to take the only action that will prevent us from having to rely on them," says author John Shepherd. "Geoengineering and its consequences are the price we may have to pay for failure to act on climate change." Consider it a stern lecture from your doctor.
Doing Something About the Climate
Climateering
Global Warming in a Nutshell
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