Incontrast, Goodell s book takes a step back, presenting an outsider s view unsurprising, as he is a regular reporter for Rolling Stone, themusic and politics magazine. This perspective allows Goodell to be a guide tothose who might reject the whole idea of geoengineering as far-fetched orcrazy. You don t need a Ph.D. in physics to understandthe basic insanity of this undertaking, Goodellwrites, while emphasizing that the outlook for the planet is so bad that wehave to think about these options anyway. Of the two authors, Goodell does abetter job of taking the reader on a journey. Most chapters in How to Cool thePlanet feature a central character, from geoengineer David Keith tinkering inhis lab at the University of Calgary to environmentalist and scientist JamesLovelock strolling the countryside around his quaint English home. By digginginto their stories, Goodell portrays geoengineering as a human endeavour,carrying hefty doses of uncertainty, doubt and fear.
Itwhat seems to be an odd coincidence, both books end by likening geoengineeringto some kind of planetary gardening. Goodell takes some comfort in this notion,whereas Kintisch is sceptical about the idea that we can tame and controlecosystems, let alone the whole planet. To my mind, a better analogy(比拟,类比,类推)for geoengineering would be industrial agriculture, with vastfeedlots(饲育场)and fields of crops planted and harvestedby machines. This system works for now, but its sustainability is increasinglycoming into question. Similarly, geoengineering might appear to work well for awhile before its dark side becomes evident. As Princeton University s RobertSocolow recently told the Asilomar meeting: Be verycareful. Geoengineering comes with some strongwarnings, and they re worth heeding.
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