Humans are very clever, aren't we?
It seems every time we discover a new ecosystem we can exploit, we do so with such vigor that before long we've depleted all available resources. Not very far-sighted, of course, but you sure can't fault our enthusiasm!
Here is an example:
Kind of depressing. And it's only going to get worse as climate change threatens existing habitats and forces mass migrations of species resulting in greater depletion and more extinctions.
An increasing number of scientists are now coming forward with proposals for geoengineering: large-scale tinkering with the Earth's atmosphere and oceans with the intent to slow or reverse global warming and to avert its most damaging effects.
One wonders, of course, if we humans are smart enough to do that effectively. Can those who fouled the nest so badly be trusted to clean it up?
Philosophical conjectures aside, it seems clear that the challenge of climate chaos is severe enough that drastic action may indeed be required. And so, given that, we're pleased to see that the concept of geoengineering is moving quickly from the pages of science fiction to the pages of serious scientific journals -- in this case, a series of papers published by the Royal Society, Britain’s oldest scientific academy, in its Philosophical Transactions.
Whether or not you agree that climate change represents an imminent crisis, as we believe, it is at least somewhat reassuring that measures to counteract it are being given due consideration by qualified, sober thinkers.
Comments