SHOULD MANKIND USE GEOENGINEERING TO ADDRESS GLOBAL WARMING????

Has the time come for geoengineering?

Scientists have long studied and debated the promises and perils of deliberately influencing Earth's weather and climate systems. But today, faced with ever more pessimistic predictions about the pace of global warming and the irrevocable damage it could do to the planet, some are talking seriously about implementing theoretical geoengineering schemes such as blocking the sun as an emergency response. In "20 Reasons Why Geoengineering May Be a Bad Idea" PDF (May/June 2008 Bulletin), Alan Robock raises a host of scientific, social, and ethical issues posed by geoengineering. Below, Robock and his four fellow discussants debate how to weigh geoengineering’s potential benefits against its negative consequences.

[link to www.thebulletin.org]