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A leading scientist at the University of Bristol has said that potentially harmful geo-engineering solutions may be the only way to tackle the damaging effects of climate change.
Dr Matthew Watson, principal investigator for the Stratospheric Particle Injection for Climate Engineering (Spice) project – which is looking at ways of simulating the cooling effects of volcanoes - believes if nothing can be done to turn the tide of global warming the human race may be forced to risk interfering with nature on a planetary scale.
However, scientists are still in the process of of uncovering the potential hazards of geo-engineering to counteract climate change.
Watson said: "I'm easily terrified. I think if we ever deploy SRM (Solar Radiation Management) it will be the closest indication yet that we've failed as planetary stewards.”
"It fundamentally changes the way seven billion people are going to interact with the world, and I'm not sure the system is going to be controllable in the way we want."
SRM envisages injecting water droplets or sulphur particles into the stratosphere from a tethered balloon to reduce the amount of radiation from the Sun reaching the Earth, mimicking what happens after major volcanic eruptions.
An early Spice experiment, one of the first to move geo-engineering technology out of the laboratory, was cancelled in May amid controversy over alleged conflicts of interest.
The trial would have used a weather balloon to inject 150 litres of piped water into the atmosphere.
While the risks of such experiments remain largely unknown, three combined research projects, led by teams from the universities of Leeds, Bristol and Oxford, have explored the implications in more detail.
The Integrated Assessment of Geo-engineering Proposals (IAGP) project has found that one of the biggest risks is disrupting the delicate balance of land and sea weather influences, resulting in drought and extreme rainfall in different parts of the world.
Another danger specifically linked to sulphur particles is the destruction of atmospheric ozone.
Watson does not expect to see such technology deployed in this decade, but believes the day may come when it cannot be avoided.
He stressed that without drastic cuts in greenhouse emissions, global warming was on course to make the world 4°C hotter by 2100. "That's going to have a profound effect on the planet," he added.
Watson was speaking ahead of a meeting at the Royal Society in London where experts will be told the latest results from computer simulations of the effects of geo-engineering.
Spice is one of three projects, together costing the taxpayer £5 million, which will be discussed at the meeting.
Other potential solutions involve spraying sea salt into low clouds to make them brighter and more reflective, capturing and burying large amounts of carbon underground, raising levels of carbon-absorbing plankton in the oceans, and using shiny materials to increase the reflectivity of deserts.
The scientists agreed there could be no "quick fix" for global warming and priority should be given to reducing carbon emissions and adapting to the effects of climate change.
Professor Piers Forster, from the University of Leeds, principal investigator for the IAGP project, said: "Our research shows that the devil is in the detail. Geo-engineering will be much more expensive and challenging than previous estimates suggest and any benefits would be limited."