#6 GEOENGINEERING
I do not agree with the author’s claim that we, mankind, might not be able to stop global warming. Humans have proved many scientific predictions wrong. For example, few years back, there was a global concern about the depleting fossil fuels due to excessive combustion for petroleum. Scientists predicted that the natural resource would run out soon. However, humans later found an even cleaner way to produce fuel--- i.e. grow bio fuel crops. Another instance was the water scarcity issue in Singapore. Winner of Stockholm Water Prize and Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize, Dr Andrew Benedek, came up with membranes which make dirty water clean and made recycling water cheaper, safer and more effective than using chemicals. This invention put an end to “water worries” in Singapore. Therefore, there are infinite possibilities ahead; we should not turn our backs to the accelerating advancement in technology. Like what the author proposed, Geoengineering might be able to halt global warming and hence in a way or another, change the world.

The article states, “The principle behind it is straightforward — compensate for an intensified greenhouse effect by reducing the amount of solar radiation reaching the earth.” Although the suggested method brings benefits, it also poses problems. The author’s suggested method was to reduce solar radiation from reaching the earth. The filtering of solar radiation from the atmosphere meant that there would be a shortage of vitamin D. Vitamin D was found to be a risk reduction factor for breast, colon, ovarian, prostate cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Hence the statistics of contracting the aforementioned cancers would increase if the availability of Vitamin D decreases.The other method, using of orbital mirrors to reflect sunlight back into the universe, is detrimental to green plants on earth. Without adequate sunlight, some will perish and the base of the food chain would be destroyed hence adversely affecting the ecosystem of the earth. This effect is definitely more disastrous as compared to global warming.

Some possible future developments from geoengineering is having white roofs on buildings to reflect sunlight and probably set up artificial lakes to store excessive carbon emissions.