Incredible Technology: How to Engineer the Climate

Greenhouse gases are heating up the planet, spurring plenty of controversy about whether – and how – to stop pumping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. But some scientists are looking at another option, one they often see as an emergency brake: Geoengineering… Even if the technical hurdles can be overcome, political and ethical issues might make geoengineering unfeasible. Even small-scale tests of geoengineering plans would be difficult to govern, said Alan Robock, a professor of environmental sciences at Rutgers University. "There has to be some limitations on doing it so it doesn’t just expand and get to a size that would be dangerous," Robock told LiveScience.