Some of the More Radical Proposals to Address and Mitigate

question 10

Essay

Some of the more radical proposals to address and mitigate climate change involve geoengineering, which involves deliberately modifying Earth's climate. Evaluate how the actions listed would affect the global climate and global biogeochemical cycles by answering the questions that follow.
Option 1: Plant more trees.
Option 2: Build one or more giant reflective mirrors and send them into Earth's orbit.
Option 3: Fertilize ocean water with iron.
Option 4: Spray sulfuric acid as aerosol into the stratosphere.
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Suppose global temperature suddenly increases by 4°C. If this sudden increase imperiled many of the species on Earth, which of the four options would decrease global temperatures most quickly and be easiest to implement on short notice?

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Definitions:

Leon Festinger

A social psychologist known for developing the theory of cognitive dissonance.

Theory

An organized collection of thoughts aimed at clarifying something, established on broad principles that are not derived from the phenomenon being clarified.

Fear Arousal

The process of inducing a state of fear in an individual, often used in psychological experiments or therapies.

Persuasive Tactic

Strategies or methods employed to convince or influence others to adopt a certain belief or follow a course of action.