geoengineering, the large-scale manipulation of a specific process central to controlling for the purpose of obtaining a specific benefit. Global climate is controlled by the amount of received by Earth and also by the fate of this within the Earth system—that is, how much is absorbed by Earth’s surface and how much is reflected or reradiated back into space. The reflectance of solar radiation is controlled by several mechanisms, including Earth’s surface and coverage and the presence in the atmosphere of such as (CO2). If geoengineering proposals are to influence global climate in any meaningful way, they must intentionally alter the relative influence of one of these controlling mechanisms.cloud-seeding aircraftA Cessna 441 Conquest II fitted with cloud-seeding pods on its wings, at Hobart International Airport, Tasmania, Australia, 2008.(more)Geoengineering proposals were first developed in the middle of the 20th century. Relying on technologies developed during , such proposals were designed to alter systems in order to obtain more favourable conditions on a regional scale. One of the earliest techniques is , a weather-modification process that attempts to bring rain to parched farmland by dispersing particles of silver iodide or solid into rain-bearing . Cloud seeding has also been used in attempts to weaken . By the 21st century, however, cloud seeding as a true form of geoengineering, as well as in general, had become a matter of debate, since the scale upon which cloud seeding operates is small (and not at the planetary scale) and that it does not seek to reverse the effects of human-driven climate change. In addition, the U.S. military suggested that might be used as tools to alter regional climates and make certain areas of the world more favourable for human habitation. This proposal, however, was not tested.Present-day geoengineering proposals have focused on the global scale, particularly as evidence has mounted of increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations and thus the prospect of . Two fundamentally different approaches to the problem of global climate change have arisen. The first approach proposes the use of technologies that would increase the of incoming , thus reducing the heating effect of sunlight upon Earth’s surface and lower . However, altering Earth’s heat budget by reflecting more sunlight back into space might offset rising temperatures but would do nothing to counter the rising concentration of CO2 in Earth’s atmosphere. The second geoengineering approach focuses on this problem, proposing to 2 from the air and store it in areas where it cannot interact with Earth’s atmosphere. This approach is more appealing than the first because it has the potential to counteract both rising temperatures and rising carbon dioxide levels. In addition, reducing CO2 in the air could address the problem of acidification. Vast amounts of atmospheric CO2 are taken up by the and mixed with seawater to form (H2CO3). As the amount of carbonic acid rises in the ocean, it lowers the pH of seawater. Such could result in damage to coral reefs and other calcareous organisms such as . Reducing the concentration of CO2 would slow and perhaps eventually halt the production of carbonic acid, which in turn would reduce ocean acidification.To some scientists, global-scale geoengineering proposals border on . Geoengineering is also controversial because it aims to modify global climate—a phenomenon that is not yet fully understood and cannot be altered without risk. In the popular press there have been reports that view geoengineering as the final option to thwart if all other measures to reduce CO2 emissions fail in the coming decades. Several studies advocate that rigorous testing should precede the implementation of any geoengineering proposal so that unintended consequences would be avoided. Each proposal described below would differ from the others in its potential efficiency, complexity, cost, safety considerations, and unknown effects on the planet, and all of them should be thoroughly evaluated before being implemented. Despite this, no proposed scheme has been purposefully tested, even as a small-scale pilot study, and hence the efficiency, cost, safety, or timescale of any scheme has never been evaluated. Proposals to increase solar reflectance geoengineeringAn exploration of the benefits and risks of using geoengineering to combat climate change.(more)See all videos for this articleGeoengineering schemes that could increase the of incoming include raising ground-level , injecting particles into the , whitening marine , and delivering millions of tiny orbital or sunshades into space. It is important to note that a great deal of debate surrounds each of these schemes, and the feasibility of each is difficult to ascertain. Clearly, their deployment at global scales would be difficult and expensive, and small-scale trials would reveal little about their potential effectiveness., Geo-engineering is het opzettelijk grootschalig ingrijpen in de natuurlijke systemen van de aarde, met als doel klimaatverandering, en meer specifiek de opwarming van de aarde tegen te gaan. [1] . Dit wordt ook wel klimaatengineering genoemd, omdat deze term duidelijker maakt dat de bedoelde technologieën ingrijpen in het klimaatsysteem., Geoengineering, the large-scale manipulation of a specific process central to controlling Earth’s climate for the purpose of obtaining a specific benefit. Efforts are designed to change the amount of solar radiation Earth receives or change the fate of this energy..