ClimateJuly 4, 2026

geoengineering

/ˌdʒiːoʊˌɛndʒɪˈnɪərɪŋ/

Definition

The large-scale, deliberate technological intervention in the Earth's natural systems to counteract climate change or manage global temperatures.

Etymology

The word is a combination of the Greek 'geo' (earth) and the English 'engineering' (the application of science to build or design structures). It emerged in the late 20th century to describe bold technical proposals for planetary-scale environmental management.

In the news

In this article, the term appears as a metadata tag representing a category of scientific research into climate intervention strategies. It highlights a specialized field of study distinct from renewable energy deployment.

Guest post: How US renewable-energy growth persists despite federal policy uncertainty

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Carbon Brief

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