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Leading scientists believe a technological fix is needed if the world is to be saved from the dangers of climate change.

In light of the failure by the international community to adequately tackle climate change, scientists believe the world may need to resort to reducing CO₂ emissions through artificial means, according to a poll carried out by The Independent newspaper.

The idea of using “geoengineering” projects – such as the cloud-making ship pictured right – that either reduce sunlight levels or take CO₂ out of the air by man-made means is not new, but has been regarded with skepticism. The risks associated with such as approach include high financial cost and the fact it is a distraction from the need to reduce emissions at source.

A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said:

“There are many groups around the world working on technological fixes to the problem of global warming, and whilst most appear beautifully simple, none is proven and changes need to happen now – there is no substitute for reducing the amount of fossil fuel we consume.”

What is ‘geoengineering’?

The term ‘geoengineering’ refers to the rearranging of the Earth’s environment on a large scale to suit human needs – in this case to help fight climate change. Pie in the sky? global warming techno-fix ideas at a glance;

• Iron filings - Iron filings dropped into the sea stimulate CO2 -absorbing plankton
• Sulphate aerosols – A giant cannon fires sulphate into atmosphere to scatter light from the sun
• Sun shades – Giant parasols in space to shade the earth
• Water pipes – Pipes floating vertically in the sea cool the oceans by use tidal power to draw cold water up from the depths