Royal Society to look at planetary intervention

The Royal Society is launching a major new study into planetary scale geo-engineering projects amid fears that it may already be too late to prevent runaway climate change.

Geo-engineering projects are large-scale interventions in the Earth's natural climate system designed to reduce CO2 and prevent global warming.

Any such scheme would be a last resort, said Professor John Shepherd, chair of the working group that will undertake the study.

"Whatever solutions technology may offer us in the future, it is clear that the need to cut emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere is now more urgent than ever," he said.

"But we need to investigate if any of these schemes could help us avoid the most dangerous changes to our climate and to fully understand what other impacts they may have."

Proposed schemes that will be investigated include seeding marine clouds with particles so they reflect more sunlight, encouraging the growth of plankton in oceans to soak up CO2, and placing mirrors at the upper reaches of the atmosphere to reflect sunlight away from earth.

The study will look more closely at the potential social and environmental impact of such schemes.

Scientists have warned that projects may be difficult to get off the ground because they are unlikely to show any financial return for investors.

And although the technology needs to be ready to be deployed if deemed necessary, there is always a chance it may not be used at all.

Earlier this year 191 countries imposed a ban on plankton-related geo-engineering projects after concerns they would harm marine ecosystems.

The Royal Society report will be published in the middle of next year.