2026年1月托福机经套卷(第7套) - Read an Academic Passage Q2

Engineering Earth's Climate Earth systems engineering and management (ESEM) focuses on manipulating Earth's processes to address environmental challenges. This field combines engineering, environmental science, and policy-making to devise solutions for climate change and other issues. One method of ESEM is geoengineering, which involves deliberate intervention in Earth's climate system to counteract global warming. Geoengineering techniques fall into two categories: solar radiation management (SRM) and carbon dioxide removal (CDR). SRM aims to reflect sunlight into space to cool the planet. Techniques include injecting aerosols into the stratosphere and deploying reflective mirrors. CDR focuses on reducing greenhouse gas concentrations through methods like afforestation, ocean fertilization, and direct air capture of CO2. Implementing geoengineering presents challenges. Technological feasibility is a concern, as many techniques are experimental. There are ethical and governance issues, such as who controls these interventions and how impacts are monitored. Additionally, unintended consequences may arise, causing more harm than good. Despite these challenges, ESEM offers solutions to mitigate climate change. Integrating engineering with environmental management can lead to innovative approaches for sustainability. Collaborative efforts between scientists, engineers, and policymakers are crucial to developing safe strategies.