本文是环保类话题，关键词是geo-engineering。全文如下：
AformerGovernmentchiefscientistoncetoldmethatweshouldalwayshaveaPlanBreadyincasePlanAdoesn’twork– ordoesn’thappen. Hewasspeakinginrelationtothepossibilityof“geo-engineering” theclimateifitbecomesobviousthatglobalwarmingisbeginningtotipirrevocablytowardsapotentiallydangerousstate.

HecouldonlysaythisoncehewasoutofofficeofcoursebecausetheofficialGovernmentviewatthetime– asitisnow– wasthat“thereisnoPlanB” inrelationtoclimatechange, thattheonlyconceivablewayofavoidingdangerousglobaltemperatureincreasesinthefutureistocurbtheproductionofgreenhousegasemissionsnow.

Geo-engineeringisdefinedasthedeliberate, large-scaleinterventionintheEarth’sclimatesysteminordertolimitundesirableclimatechange, butitisseenbymanyasatechnicalfixtoofar. Atitsmostoutlandish, geo-engineeringenvisagesputtinggiantmirrorsinspacetodeflectincomingsolarradiation, butitalsoincludesmorebenigninterventions, suchassolarpowered“artificialtrees” inthedesertforsoakingupcarbondioxideintheair.

DespitetheofficialviewoftherebeingnoPlanB, however, lastweek’sfifthreportbytheIntergovernmentalPanelonClimateChange(IPCC) hasplacedgeo-engineeringfirmlyontheagenda– evenifthescientificpanelratherdenigratestheideaasprobablyunworkableandpotentiallydangerous. Nevertheless, forsomecriticsofgeo-engineeringthemerementionoftheconceptinsuchanofficialandhigh-profilepublicationisenoughtoseered.

Indeed, theCanadian-basedETCGroupofenvironmentalists, perceivedaRussian-ledconspiracytosubverttheIPCCprocess. Russiahadinsistedontheadditionofgeo-engineeringtothereportanditisRussiawheremanygeo-engineeringprojectsarebeingtested, theETCGroupclaims.

Beforegettingcarriedawaywiththeinclusionforthefirsttimeofgeo-engineeringinanIPCCreport, itisworthpointingoutthatthepanelemphasisestheinherentflawsoftheproposalstocounterrisingtemperatures. Deflectingsunlightwithartificiallycreatedwhitecloudsovertheoceans, forinstance, woulddonothingtopreventtheacidificationoftheoceansand, ifithadtobestoppedforanyreason, globalsurfacetemperatureswouldsoonriseagainevenhigherthanbefore.

Inshort, ifwerelyonatechnicalfixtocombatclimatechange, ratherthanaddressingtherootproblem, wecouldbecomeaddictedtotheillusionthatalliswellwhen, infact, allthatwearedoingisdelayingtheinevitable, whileincreasingtheriskofsomeseriousunintendedconsequences, whichhistorytellsusareneverfarawayfrombigengineeringproposalsofthiskind.
Takeforinstancetherelativelysmall-scalegeo-engineeringprojecttodiverttheriversrunningintotheAralSeaoftheformerSovietUnion. HalfacenturyagotheAralSeawasthefourthlargestlakeintheworldwithathrivingcommercialfishery, butby2007 ithaddeclinedtoabout10 percentofitsoriginalsize, withfishingboatsstrandedinthemiddleofatoxicsaltpan.
SovietscientistsdivertedwaterfromtworiversrunningintotheAralSeatoirrigatefieldsofcottonandothercrops. Butintheendtheycreatedabarren, dustylandscapewhereoncetherewasaseafilledwithwildlife. ToxinsandsaltblownfromtheAral’sparchedbasementeventhreatenedtheverycropsthattheprojectwasmeanttogenerate.

Sowhensomepeopletalkaboutthepossibilityof“fixing” theclimatewithtechnologicalinterventionsratherthancutsincarbondioxideemissions, let’snotforgethistory. PerhapsHMGovernmentisright: thereisnoPlanB.

Talkingofcarbondioxide, IhavejustreturnedfromaninterestingvisittotheCzechRepublicwherehealthtourism, ratherthanbeingfrownedupon, ispositivelyencouraged.

Whathasthisgottodowithcarbondioxide, youmayask? Welloneofthemorecurious, ifnotbizarre“medical” treatmentsyoucanbuyisadipinadrybathofcarbondioxide. For20 minutesorsoyoubatheeverythingbelowyourwaist(fullyclothed) inanatmosphereof“natural” carbondioxidepumpedfromundergroundsources.

ItissaidbythosewhosellittocurearangeofconditionsandevenactslikeadoseofViagra. StrictlyintheinterestsofscienceIvolunteered. Iintendtopublishmyfindingsinapeer-reviewedscientificjournal– thatisifIcanfindonepreparedtooverlookmylimitedsetofdatapoints.

本文后附上三个题目：
1. Whatisgeo-engineering? Whatarethepossibleinternationalmeasuresofgeo-engineering?
2. Whataretheviewsofthecriticsofgeo-engineering?
3. Whydoestheauthorintroducethesmallscalegeo-engineeringproject?
从题目中可以看出，本文的中心词是geo-engineering，文章对geo-engineering还提出了相当的质疑，并提出可以实验小型geo-engineering。从文章第三段开始，可以找到geo-engineering的定义。接着正好是各国可以采用的手段和人们提出的质疑。文章后三段相熟了小型的geo-engineering。