Solar geoengineering research aims to understand the plausibility and possible effects of artificially cooling the Earth. Scientists around the world have vastly different opinions about continuing the research, many stating that it should be banned altogether. As the U.S. heads into the next phase of studying solar geoengineering, concerns loom regarding its possible consequences.
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Until recently, the concept of geoengineering has widely been dismissed as a far-fetched and unethical idea to manipulate the environment. Geoengineering proposals intend to reduce the effects of global warming by manipulating the environment through extracting carbon dioxide from the air or reflecting sunlight to reduce global temperatures. However, as the context of climate change has shifted in urgency, geoengineering has emerged as a potential last-ditch effort to save humanity from climate-induced destruction. Despite its many unknowns and risks, geoengineering might provide a temporary solution to delay the detrimental effects of climate change and prevent the irreversible damage projected by current global warming trends.
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