It is a very unpleasant and very very uncertain alternative. But it is becoming increasingly clear that if we do nothing we as a species will probably become extinct along with many other of our fellow species.
I'm not certain what sorts of things could be done to start reflecting back some of the solar energy pouring into our system but I'm pretty sure that there are some things that we could entertain. One of them would be to sow the upper atmosphere with reflective materials. Similar to what a large-scale volcanic eruption does. We would probably have to do it over and over and over again. Possibly for centuries . But that may be our only chance. Would it be better to do that than quietly die.
There are all sorts of ethical issues that will instantly arise if something like this is proposed. One of the problems with this sort of climate engineering is that you could end up making some areas very very dry and some areas very very wet. In addition you could bring on a mini Ice Age in northern climates that would make life very very unpleasant if not impossible for people living in those latitudes.
Some of the changes would probably result in famines and other forms of mass death. However, with the threat of extinction looming what choice for you matter to we have?
What do you think? Should we quietly die? It won't be particularly quiet. The resource wars that will and are already breaking out are going to be brutal, bloody, and utterly violent.
Or should we try to re engineer our climate to try and cool our world? We won't be able to completely predict the outcome whatever methods we use. The climate is an incredibly complex system that we are only just now beginning to understand. But we do understand enough to know that we are in the process of drowning in our own heat.
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