REAL-WORLD GEOENGINEERING EXPERIMENTS REVEALED BY UK AGENCY Real-world geoengineering experiments spanning the globe from the Arctic to the...

REAL-WORLD GEOENGINEERING EXPERIMENTS REVEALED BY UK AGENCY

Real-world geoengineering experiments spanning the globe from the Arctic to the Great Barrier Reef are being funded by the UK government. They will test sun-reflecting particles in the stratosphere, making clouds whiter using sprays of seawater and pumping water on to sea ice to thicken it. Getting this “critical missing scientific data” is vital with the Earth nearing dangerous points when climate can change suddenly, said the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria), the government agency backing the plan. If demonstrated to be safe, geoengineering could temporarily cool the planet and give more time to tackle the root cause of the climate crisis: the burning of fossil fuels.

The experiments will be small-scale and carefully checked before going ahead, Aria said. Other projects in the £56.8m programme will model the impacts of geoengineering on the climate and research how it could be governed internationally. Geoengineering is controversial, with some scientists calling it a “dangerous distraction” from cutting emissions and concerned about unintended climate impacts. Some previously planned outdoor experiments have been cancelled after strong opposition.

However, given the failure of the world to stop emissions rising to date, and the recent run of record hot years, backers of solar geoengineering say researching the technology is vital in case an emergency brake is needed. The Aria programme, along with another £10m project, makes the UK one of the biggest funders of geoengineering research in the world. “Decarbonisation is the first and best chance of avoiding these tipping points,” said Prof Mark Symes, the programme director at Aria. “But the current trajectory puts us in danger of causing big climate changes, regardless of what happens with net zero, so we do need to think about what we might do in that eventuality.

“The point of the programme is to explore and research as transparently as possible whether any of the proposed cooling approaches could ever be used safely,” he said. “Life in the UK could become very difficult if any of these tipping points were triggered.” Ilan Gur, Aria’s CEO, said: “If science can show us that an elegantly designed spray of seawater can protect and preserve the incredible biodiversity of the Great Barrier Reef, isn’t that something we want to understand?” 

[Adapted from The Guardian]

Question 23: What specific geoengineering technique is NOT mentioned as being funded or tested by the UK government in the passage?

A. Injecting reflective particles into the atmosphere to block sunlight.

B. Enhancing cloud brightness by spraying seawater into the air.

C. Increasing the thickness of sea ice by pumping water onto its surface.

D. Utilizing large-scale carbon capture directly from the atmosphere.

Question 24: The word "vital" in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to:

A. optional        B. crucial        C. secondary        D. impractical

Question 25: The word "controversial" in paragraph 2 is OPPOSITE in meaning to __________.

A. debatable         B. disputed         C. agreeable         D. contentious

Question 26: The word "They" in paragraph 1 refers to __________.

A. arctic ice caps                B. sun-reflecting particles

C. geoengineering experiments        D. UK government agencies

Question 27: Which of the following best paraphrases the statement from paragraph 1: "If demonstrated to be safe, geoengineering could temporarily cool the planet and give more time to tackle the root cause of the climate crisis: the burning of fossil fuels."?

A. Geoengineering is a permanent solution that will eliminate the need for addressing the primary causes of climate change.

B. Provided its safety is confirmed, geoengineering might offer a short-term cooling effect, providing a crucial window to address the fundamental issue of fossil fuel combustion.

C. The primary goal of geoengineering is to completely stop the burning of fossil fuels by cooling the Earth's surface.

D. Geoengineering is a risky approach that could delay essential actions against climate change, without solving the core problem.

Question 28: Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A. All geoengineering experiments previously planned have been successfully carried out despite opposition.

B. Geoengineering is considered by all scientists to be a safe and undisputed method for climate intervention.

C. The UK government's funding for geoengineering research is among the largest globally.

D. Decarbonization is viewed as a less important strategy compared to geoengineering for avoiding climate tipping points.

Question 29: In which paragraph does the writer discuss the controversy and opposition surrounding geoengineering?

A. Paragraph 1        B. Paragraph 2        C. Paragraph 3        D. Paragraph 4

Question 30: In which paragraph does the writer explain why some argue that geoengineering research is vital despite its controversial nature?

A. Paragraph 1        B. Paragraph 2        C. Paragraph 3        D. Paragraph 4