One reason I think some folks are suspicious of geoengineering solutions to climate change or biotechnology solutions to feeding people and clothing people is that these are not solutions where we “pay for our sins.” If humans perceive “easy” technical fixes to problems, that will not only make us less nervous about what future damages we may end up doing to the planet and ourselves, but it also undermines the calls for massive changes to our consumption patterns today and of course undermines the case for major political changes as well.