'Geoengineering' —taking control of our planet's climate

摘要

There is international consensus that 'dangerous' climate change must beavoided. Yet without radical changes in energy sources and usage and globaleconomies, changes that so far society has been unable or unwilling to make, itseems highly likely that we will start to experience unacceptably damagingand/or societally disruptive global environmental change later this century.What actions can be taken to safeguard future environmental quality, ecosys-tems, agriculture, economy, and society A new science- ??geoengineering'-that until recently would have seemed pure science fiction, promises analternative way of temporarily regaining control of climate. Colossal engineer-ing schemes to shade the sun, make the atmosphere hazier, modify clouds, eventhrow iron into the ocean, are all being promoted as possible ways out of ourdilemma. This article considers the state of this new science, and its implica-tions for society.