Geoengineering

Geo-engineering 'turns hearts and minds away from the cause of the climate crisis and inevitably dilutes the urgency with which it must be addressed'.

A new proposal to radically reduce concentrations of methane and other greenhouse gases has been proposed by French researcher, Dr Renaud de Richter, at a recent meeting in London.

We need to consider all options if we are to keep global warming below 1.5°C - even engineering the climate.

Constructing artificial underwater walls could help to limit sea-level rise according to models

Is geoengineering realistic, is it safe - or is it just sleight of hand?

Proponents argue that geoengineering may be the only way of preventing climatic harms in the absence of substantial emissions reductions. But the consequences could be global, fatal, unintended and uncontrollable. Dr SAM ADELMAN investigates

To keep the world's coral reefs alive we may have to cool tropical seas by blocking the sun's rays above them, writes Tim Radford. Even if the world reduces carbon emissions, warming already 'in the pipeline' could kill 90% of the world's coral by 2050 unless we act.

The IPCC's 'Representative Concentration Pathways' are based on fantasy technology that must draw massive volumes of CO2 out of the atmosphere late this century, writes Nick Breeze - an unjustified hope that conceals a very bleak future for Earth, and humanity.

The geoengineering genie should remain firmly stopped up in its bottle until a robust case is made for letting it out, writes Clive Hamilton - and that's something the NRC's new report signally fails to achieve, providing no rationale for deploying the technology, or even experimenting with it.

Film maker Nick Breeze has conducted a series of interviews with experts on 'geo-engineering' to forestall runaway global warming. Here he presents the distilled wisdom from his meetings - and concludes that we should at least be experimenting with the techniques, and studying their impacts.

Wealthy individuals, including Bill Gates, have funded a series of reports into the future use of technologies to geoengineer the climate

As global climate talks stall, calls for more trials of ideas to alter the world's climate known as 'geoengineering' are likely to grow

Broad welcome for new biodiversity targets, including increase in protected areas, but campaigners express concern that previous 2010 targets have still not been met

Only massive and regular sulphur injections into the atmosphere would prevent sea-level rises of 30-70cm on 2000 levels by the end of the century as a result of climate change

Researchers warn that individual countries looking to go it alone with 'cheap' solutions to regional climate change could inflict negative impacts on the rest of world

Microsoft founder Bill Gates providing funding for geoegineering experiment to increase whiteness of clouds, reflect more sunlight back into space and reduce global warming

It's time to say no to scientists and politicians considering geoengineering as a way of tackling climate change, says Jim Thomas

Climate manipulation must be regulated at the UN level to avoid countries taking matters into their own hands, says a committee of MPs

Governments that are considering funding geoengineering experiments are the same ones that have failed to pay for conventional mitigation or adaptation to climate change