Aerosols could be injected into the upper atmosphere to engineer the climate by scattering incident sunlight so as to produce a cooling tendency that may mitigate the risks posed by the accumulation of greenhouse gases. Analysis of climate engineering has focused on sulfate aerosols.
Geoengineering has been proposed as a feasible way of mitigating anthropogenic climate change, especially increasing global temperatures in the 21st century. The two main geoengineering options are limiting incoming solar radiation, or modifying the carbon cycle.
Great disasters occur constantly. The Asian financial crisis blasted the miracle economies of Asia. The Great Recession of 2007-09 led to the bankruptcy/rescue of the five top investment banks on Wall Street, the biggest bank (Citibank), the biggest insurance company (AIG), the biggest auto manufacturer (General Motors) and the biggest mortgage underwriters (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac).
In a world plagued by the effects of climate change, ocean iron fertilization and other geoengineering techniques1 could help to respond and adapt to this global environmental crisis.
Science sometimes produces world-threatening technologies. Thirty-five years ago, genetic engineering was in its infancy, but dangers such as the creation of new viruses were clearly visible. So the field's top scientists headed to Asilomar in California to discuss how to regulate their work. They recognised the need to pause and think before plunging into action.
Plans are taking shape for the day when a global coalition may have to "hack the planet" in a bid to reverse the ravages of global warming. Proposals to cool the Earth by deploying sunshades or sucking carbon dioxide from the atmosphere were considered fanciful just a few years ago, but are now being considered by politicians in the US and UK.
Climate modeling of geoengineering schemes: a paper presented by Dr. G Bala IISc, Bangalore at National climate research conference, IIT Delhi, March 5-6, 2010.
