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To geoengineer the climate means to counter climate change by “intentionally manipulating nature” (Fountain, 2014). Dr. Schuiling suggests using olivine, which is a green tinted mineral that takes CO2 out of the atmosphere when exposed to elements, by placing it in more everyday places such as beaches, sandboxes, fields, and more (Fountain, 2014). By doing this, the olivine would be spread around more, thus being able to remove more CO2 from the atmosphere. Another example would be to use planes to spread sulfur particles, thus blocking the sunlight some and creating the effect that volcanic eruptions cause (Biello, 2014). This would allow the planet to cool down on its own by using a natural product such as sulfur particles.
There are critics and distrust amongst the idea of geoengineering, largely from scientists of underdeveloped countries. Underdeveloped countries are facing climate change largely due to the developed and industrialized countries and thus they do not trust the ideas that come from scientist from within these countries (Fountain, 2014). David Keith is an example of a scientist taking precaution with these ideas as he suggests that spraying sulfur particles in the atmosphere should be done slowly in case there is a negative affect, thus allowing for the reversal of the process. Many who are in the field of geoengineering feel that more research and studies need to be performed before performing the different solutions (Fountain 2014). I think that before these approaches are adopted, they need to be studied and researched more. Spreading sulfur particles in the air may have a different damaging effect and thus should not be done lightly. Spreading olivine around in different areas should be studied as well as it is a mineral and could possibly have some effect to humans, especially if spread in fields used for agriculture. I think that geoengineering should be considered in addition to cutting back the GHG emissions. We cannot fix the problem if we continue to output so much CO2 into the atmosphere. I would think that geoengineering is a Band-Aid to the problem instead of fixing the problem itself.
Biello, D. December 12, 2014. Fact or Fiction? Geoengineering Can Solve Global Warming. Scientific American. Retrieved from to an external site.)
Fountain, H. November 9, 2014. Climate Tools Seeking to Take Nature in Hand. The New York Times. Retrieved from
