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There is an interesting angle to geoengineering. Once you start applying it (assuming we master the technology) you get into the argument of what is the "right"
by perfunctory 7y ago
There is an interesting angle to geoengineering. Once you start applying it (assuming we master the technology) you get into the argument of what is the "right" temperature for the Earth. Some countries (Russia) might prefer it a little warmer, some others (U.S., India) a little colder. Do we really want to get into a new Cold War?
Some geoengineering solutions don't seem to be all that expensive (e.g. spraying sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere), and if things get really bad in some particularly hot places, somebody (India?) may decide to apply them unilaterally. Will we be happy about that?
- high_5 7y agoWith great power comes responsibility that we mostly fail to bear.
- GVIrish 7y agoThe bigger issue with geoengineering is that it may have massive unknown side effects. Stratospheric sulphur spraying may cool the climate, but we don't know how it will shift weather patterns or any other unknown effects. If things get bad enough we'll get forced into geo-engineering, but as you said, unilateral action could complicate things in unforeseen ways.