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" The term geo-engineering\u2014direct technological interventions to reshape the planet\u2014calls to mind the dark laughter of a science-fiction villain. But researchers are pondering ways to use geo-engineering to counter the effects of global warming. This past year, three European institutions released reports on the benefits and risks of &amp;quot;climate engineering.&amp;quot; Recommendations vary, but the reports each conclude that the most promising technologies should be tested on small scales. Scientists worry that some nation&amp;#039;s future unilateral geo-engineering project could cause frightening side effects that cross national boundaries. &amp;quot;If a country&amp;#039;s leaders feel some existential threat, they might resort to desperate measures,&amp;quot; says Ken Caldeira, a senior scientist at the Carnegie Institution at Stanford University. &amp;quot;What if Greenland is sliding into the ocean? And what if you could stop it?&amp;quot;  Is the Earth Ready for these Global Warming Fixes? Dim the Sky  Objective: Block solar radiation to drop Earth&amp;#039;s surface temperature.  Proposal: Unmanned airships or air-bursting artillery rounds inject sulfur-dioxide particles into the stratosphere. A former Microsoft executive proposes lofting a hose with helium balloons to pump liquefied sulfur dioxide into the sky.  Blowback: Global temperatures could spike as soon as treatments stop. Seeded areas may see redder, hazier skies.  Proposed by: Copenhagen Consensus Center Soak the Clouds  Objective: Decrease the amount of sunlight\u2014and heat\u2014absorbed by cloud cover.  Proposal: Funnel salt water into the air with robotic ships, brightening clouds to cool specific areas, such as the Arctic.  Blowback: The tactic is likely to alter weather patterns, nudging rainfall from one region to another in unpredictable ways. The good news is that seawater droplets cycle out of clouds within a few days.  Proposed by: Copenhagen Consensus Center  Grow Algae Everywhere  Objective: Suck carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, reducing greenhouse gases that contribute to warming.  Proposal: Deploy vast algae farms on land and at sea. Strips of algae could be built onto buildings, and miles of algae-filled plastic bags could stretch across an ocean&amp;#039;s surface.   Blowback: To work well, a continent of algae is needed, and that&amp;#039;s more pricey than other carbon-capture schemes.   Proposed by: NASA (algae farms); Institution of Mechanical Engineers, U.K. (buildings)  Whitewash Everything  Objective: Deflect solar radiation to cool the surface of the planet.  Proposal: Installing white or otherwise reflective roofs on buildings and replacing less reflective crops with ones engineered to be glossier could lower summer temperatures in the U.S. by nearly 2 F.  Blowback: Large-scale genetic modification of crops could face stiff resistance, and there might not be enough rooftops to make a difference.  Proposed by: University of Bristol, U.K. (crops); U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu (roofs) "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/a5004/4342355/>