geoengineering

The subfield of engineering concerned with designing and constructing tunnels, mines, and other human-designed geologic structures within and on earth.

“You could say it's one of the first geoengineering projects ever,” says [Carlo] Ratti of the patchwork of land-spattered lagoon that human ingenuity formed into a city, as we settle on the terrace of the Hotel Monaco with an espresso. “This wasn't meant for human living.”

The artificial manipulation of the environments of a planet, especially Earth, especially as a means of counteracting global warming.

Near-synonyms: planetary engineering, terraforming

Although the panel does not support even pilot programs, it calls geoengineering “technically feasible in terms of cooling effects and costs” and says it has “the potential to affect greenhouse warming on a substantial scale.”