Let's just suck out the energy that powers the internal convection that powers the magnetic field that prevents the solar wind from stripping the atmosphere of water, what could go wrong? On a small scale, no problem, but "powering the Earth" with the dynamo that prevents us from becoming Mars/Venus? It'll be great until we suck too much energy out. CO2 will seem like a cakewalk by comparison. At least we know the planet is livable with high levels of CO2, and we know that the rocks and trees soak up CO2 and that the ocean precipitates it out as limestone, so if worst comes to worst we can just wait a while. Once the dynamo stops, it's not restarting, and we've got maybe 50 million years until things are unlivable. Forever.
Now maybe we don't think we'll actually make it as a species for that long. But we should think about the risk, this time around.
Now maybe we don't think we'll actually make it as a species for that long. But we should think about the risk, this time around.