Given the accumulating effects of global warming and the increasing potential for disastrous climate change, some form of geoengineering likely will be attempted within the next decade or two. As advanced nanotechnology moves ahead, it could enable—for better or for worse—truly epic planet-scale (re)terraforming projects.
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Posted by
extropian.pharmer on 05/16 at 10:56 AM
The first step is to truly understand the mechanisms and to use the least energy intensive way to effect the most significant change.
I really do believe we are still at such an early stage in the understanding of how the drivers integrate that action is premature.
I , contrary to most, believe that global warming is a useful phenomenon.
The ability to melt the polar caps while freeing up enough carbon to tie up the resulting water in biomass all the while reversing desertification and managing terraforming with a limited energy budget is the humungous task.
Starting with a world more interested in tribal conflict, rampant with neanderthal-like social customs is a serious handicap.
To be provacative and serious in the same vein, perhaps the next "Star Trek" movie can visit just such a planet as ours is now and show them how, so that this dumbed down hollywood version will get the message into the thought processes of the masses.
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