Geo-engineering gaining interest

Evidently geo-engineering – using high technology solutions to modify the climate – is gaining interest according to a feature in the Christian Science Monitor (16 July):

“Launch myriad mirrors into space to deflect a fraction of sunlight from reaching Earth. Seed the stratosphere with sulfur or other particles to cut some of the sun’s rays. Bioengineer trees to soak up huge amounts of carbon dioxide from the air. Scatter unmanned self-powered ships to roam the world’s oceans funneling sea spray high in the sky to help form protective clouds.”

Unfortunately the move seems more motivated by pessimism about other solutions than optimism about human ingenuity or the power of technology.