The Big Issues in Solar Geoengineering and Student Mood Tracking

Imagine two theoretical futures: one in which nations thwart climate change by beaming sunlight back into space, and another in which the world continues to warm. There are big differences between the two, but also a lot of smaller and more subtle changes.

Take malaria, for example. In 2070, the overall risk of malaria transmission will be about the same in the two worlds. But in the hypothetical geo-engineered version of Earth, the threat of disease has shifted across the map from East Africa to West Africa.

These scenarios underscore the complex trade-offs that could accompany solar geoengineering. And they raise tough questions about who can determine how or if the world uses tools that alter the entire climate system, in ways that can benefit many but also create new dangers for some. Read the full story.

—James Temple

Teachers in Denmark use apps to check their students’ mood

Nobody knows why, but in just a few decades the number of Danish children and young people suffering from depression has increased more than sixfold.

To help address the issue, some schools are adopting platforms that frequently poll school children on a variety of wellbeing indicators and use algorithms to suggest particular issues for the class to focus on.