[danieltillett]

>Firstly, he's not a 'self-appointed ethicist', he's a professor appointed by the University of Washington.

Yes he is - all “ethicists” are self-appointed. The particular self-appointed ethicist in this article is actually a philosophy professor. I can call myself an ethicist too if I want to - ironically I can’t call myself an engineer.

>I don't see any ethicists opposing geoengineering in principle, they're just pushing for a full debate - which would include many more aspects than just the engineering one.

Can you actually find one? I have read dozens of posts and papers from these self-appointed ethicists and I have never come across one that supports anything new. They never raise any real reasons to oppose anything new, they just oppose the new because it is new.

There is no point having a “debate” about geoengineering unless we actual do some research first to know if it is possible.