Met Office warning over carbon emissions

The Met Office has warned that unless carbon emissions begin to fall in the next ten years the target of reducing temperature rises of 2C won't be met.

The report from the Met Office says even if emissions peaked in 2020, there would only be a 50 per cent chance of temperature rising more than 2C.

The results from the study were presented at the Copenhagen climate change conference, where it has been agreed that the G8 target of limiting global warming to 2C should be met to prevent temperatures reaching dangerous levels.

The Met Office, in their AVOID study, also said it was 'virtually impossible' to reduce the rise by 1.5C as proposed by some developed countries. AVOID is a research programme funded by the Department of Energy and Climate Change and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, 'providing key advice to the UK government on avoiding dangerous climate change'.

The research concluded that if peaking was reached in 2018 and shrinking emissions by four per cent per year after, there would be a 50 per cent chance of keeping warming below the target 2C.

But if the peak came in 2020, the decline would then have to be five per cent per year for the same target.

'If you go to 2025 before peaking, it's virtually impossible to stay under two degrees,' Vicky Pope, head of climate science at the Met Office, told the BBC.

'If you reduced everything to zero immediately you'd still get about 1.3C because of the greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere.'

56 papers lead with climate change editorial

Fifty-six newspapers from around the world today ran identical front-page editorials calling for action on climate change as world leaders and officials assemble in Copenhagen.

The Guardian coordinated the project to mark the beginning of United Nations' Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change.

It took over a month of consultation between the papers before the exact wording of the opinion piece was decided.

Alan Rusbridger, editor-in-chief of the Guardian, said: 'No individual newspaper editorial could hope to influence the outcome of Copenhagen but I hope the combined voice of 56 major papers speaking in 20 languages will remind the politicians and negotiators gathering there what is at stake and persuade them to rise above the rivalries and inflexibility that have stood in the way of a deal.'

The titles that will feature the leader on their front pages include two Chinese papers, India's the Hindu, France's le Monde, Spain's El Pais and Russia's Novaya Gazeta. There are also 11 African papers participating, and nine from the Americas.

Some papers, such as Japan's Ashai Shimbun, were not able to run the piece because of editorial rules but carried news reports on the initiative.

Two Australian papers, the Age and the Sydney Morning Herald, pulled out at the last-minute after the electoral success of Liberal party leader Tony Abbott, a climate change sceptic who has recast the country's debate on green issues.

Copenhagen climate talks get under way

The world's eyes will be focused on Copenhagen today as the 15th United Nations (UN) climate change conference gets under way.

Delegates from 192 countries have descended upon the Danish city in the hope of reaching an agreement for a new treaty on climate change.

The two-week conference will focus on how countries can adapt to rising sea levels and higher temperatures.

Experts have warned the world is losing the race against global warming, and adapting to it will cost hundreds of billions of dollars, something that many countries cannot afford.

It is hoped the new treaty, which will replace the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, will be based on four essential agreements:

• 1 How much are the industrialised countries willing to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases?
• 2 How much are major developing countries such as China and India willing to do to limit the growth of their emissions?
• 3 How is the help needed by developing countries to engage in reducing their emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change going to be financed?
• 4 How is that money going to be managed?

'If Copenhagen can deliver on those four points I’d be happy,' says Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Global average temperature has already risen by about 0.7C since pre-industrial times and impact of this increase has already been seen around the world.

Aside from rising sea levels, floods and droughts and volatile weather will become more and more frequent, climate change scientists warn.

China and the US have already shown signs of positive action after announcing plans ahead of the summit to reduce carbon emissions by 2020.

Climate change expert says Copenhagen doomed

A leading climate change scientist says he wants the Copenhagen meeting on climate change to fail.

James Hansen, known as the grandfather of global warming, said the 'cap and trade' system envisaged will not be effective in any case.

He has gone as far as denouncing the UN summit taking place next week in the Danish capital as a farce.

He has said that the agreements sought to limit emission through a 'cap and trade' system are counterproductive. Under these systems, he argues, governments are left to decide the limits on emissions and polluters trade quotas among themselves.

These targets have not always been met in the past. Japan missed its promised target for greenhouse gas emissions under the Kyoto agreement.

Dr Hansen, a professor at Columbia University’s Earth Institute in New York, proposes instead that to control global warming an increasing carbon tax should be introduced in place of a 'cap and trade' system.

He said: 'If they sign on to anything like they are talking about then it's definitely counterproductive. Any time you start down that path, it's time wasted. We would do better taking a year time-out and figuring out a better path.'

He added: 'We are going to have to move beyond fossil fuels at some point. Why continue to stretch it out longer?

'The only way we can do that is by putting a price on carbon emissions. The business community and the public need to understand that there will be a gradually increasing price on carbon emissions.'

Dr Hansen was one of the first voices to highlight rising global temperatures in the 1980s, correctly predicting their rise over the coming decades.

Smart meter plan to cut energy bills

The government has unveiled plans to install 47 million smart meters in 26 million homes by 2020.

The £8 billion announcement from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), which comes a week before world leaders and officials amass in Copenhagen to find a new deal on emissions, is hoped to revolutionise energy use in the home, but critics say the installation costs will be greater than the energy savings made.

The meters are aimed to cutting down on energy use and in turn reducing energy bills.

However, it is estimated the scheme will save the average home just £28 a year; meaning it could be over a decade before the initial installation costs are recouped.

The meters work by allowing households to monitor the amount of energy they are using, ending the need for meter readings and estimates.

Energy and climate change minister Lord Hunt said: 'A global climate deal in Copenhagen needs all countries to make the most ambitious commitments possible, but it will also require all of us to change how we lead our lives and how we generate our energy.

'Smart meters will put the power in people's hands, enabling us all to control how much energy we use, cut emissions and cut bills.

'Smart grids will help manage the massive shift to low carbon electricity such as wind, nuclear and clean fossil fuels.

'Globally the business of developing smart grids has been estimated at £27 billion over the next five years and the UK has the know-how to be part of that.'

Big energy companies are said to be backing the installation of the meters, but are yet to set out plans on how it will be carried out.

Lord Hunt also announced that 'Smarter Grids: The Opportunity', published today, makes the case for developing smart grids in the UK, saying 'smart grids will give operators and consumers much more information about supply and demand of electricity – enabling more effective interaction between consumer needs and fluctuating supplies'.

Alison Kay, partner in Ernst & Young Power & Utilities advisory team, commented on the announcement: 'One of the most significant costs of the roll out is installation costs, and these are going to be driven to a great extent by how willing people are to make and keep appointments. Missed appointments will result in wasted time for installers and increased costs.'

Ban Ki-moon urges leaders to 'seal a deal'

Ban Ki-moon has urged world leaders to 'seal a deal' on climate change when they meet in Copenhagen.

The United Nations chief was speaking at a Commonwealth meeting on climate change; the first time he has attended a Commonwealth summit.

The Secretary-General said he believed an agreement was in sight and said every country had an important role to play in combating climate change. Some 85 leaders have now pledged to attend the Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen next month from December 7th to 18th.

President Sarkozy of France and Prime Minister Lars Rasmussen of Denmark both spoke with Commonwealth leaders. Mr Rasmussen said the Commonwealth summit was a 'unique opportunity to discuss the truly global nature of climate change'.

'I know that for many of you climate change represents an immediate existential threat. You cannot afford the luxury of failure in Copenhagen,' he told leaders at the summit.

Mr Ban told leaders at the summit in Trinidad and Tobago: 'Our common goal is to achieve a firm foundation for a legally binding climate treaty as early as possible in 2010.

'I am confident that we are on track to do this.

'My message to you today is simple: stay focused stay committed come to Copenhagen - and seal a deal.

'A deal that is ambitious, a deal that is equitable, a deal that satisfies the demands of science.

'We cannot afford to fail. The costs are simply too great.'

The Prime Minister Gordon Brown has proposed a 'Copenhagen Launch Fund' to help poorer countries tackle climate change immediately, as part of a global climate agreement to be reached in Copenhagen. Gordon Brown said he was optimistic developed countries would support the $10 billion measure.

'I think it is very important that the deadlock is broken. That means that the poorer countries must have an understanding that the richer countries will help them adapt to climate change and make the necessary adjustments in their economies,' he said.

According to the PM, the UK government would contribute £800 million in total over three years, which has already been budgeted for.

Army to build footbridge in flooded town

The Ministry of Defence has confirmed the military will help construct a new temporary bridge in the town of Workington, in Cumbria, as residents attempt to recover from the recent devastating floods in the region.

Construction on the bridge by members of the Royal Engineers is due to begin today.

A statement from the MoD claims the decision to deploy the army was taken by ministers after Cumbria county council formally requested military assistance in providing a temporary crossing upstream from the badly damaged Calva bridge

Due to the state of the riverbanks at the proposed crossing point the bridge will only be suitable for pedestrian use though.

The MoD conformed up to 200 soldiers from the regular and territorial army will be engaged on the bridging task.

Commenting on the announcement armed forces minister Bill Rammell said: 'The armed forces were able to play their part in the magnificent rescue effort by the emergency services during the flooding, and I am very pleased that they will be able to make a further important contribution as the country helps people in Cumbria start to rebuild their communities after the devastation they suffered.'

A week after unprecedented rain fell in Cumbria local resident are still struggling to come to terms with the devastation.

Cumbria country council reports 21 road bridges remain closed, three of them having collapsed during the worst of the downpour.

PC Bill Barker died when a bridge in Workington collapsed last week.

Thousands of species 'facing extinction'

An extinction crisis is threatening 17,291 of the world's species, with 70 per cent of plants under threat.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) today released its Red List of threatened species, which warned an extinction crisis was threatening the natural world.

Of the 47,677 species assessed, 17,291 were threatened with extinction. Of those, 21 per cent of all known mammals, 30 per cent of all known amphibians, 12 per cent of all known birds, 28 per cent of reptiles, 37 per cent of freshwater fishes, 70 per cent of plants, 35 per cent of invertebrates assessed were under threat.

The IUCN Red List is the world's most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of plant and animal species.

'The scientific evidence of a serious extinction crisis is mounting,' said Jane Smart, director of IUCN's biodiversity conservation group.

'January sees the launch of the international year of biodiversity. The latest analysis of the IUCN Red List shows the 2010 target to reduce biodiversity loss will not be met. It's time for governments to start getting serious about saving species and make sure it's high on their agendas for next year, as we're rapidly running out of time.'

Of the world's 5,490 mammals, 79 are extinct or extinct in the wild, with a further 188 critically endangered, 449 endangered and 505 vulnerable.

A further 293 reptiles were added to the list this year, with the list also showing that 1,895 of the planet's 6,285 amphibians are in danger of extinction, making them the most threatened group of species known to date.

Scientists from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) have contributed 72 per cent of the new data added to the Red List. Dr Ben Collen, research fellow at ZSL's Institute of Zoology, said: 'We must take decisive action to reverse the serious declines we see in wildlife.

'We need to ensure that our enduring legacy is not to wipe out the small things that provide us with great benefits such as nutrient cycling and climate regulation.'

Of the 12,151 plants on the IUCN Red List, 8,500 are threatened with extinction, with 114 already extinct or extinct in the wild. There are now 3,120 freshwater fishes on the IUCN Red List, up 510 species from last year.

Professor Jonathan Baillie, director of conservation programmes at ZSL, added: 'The commitment to our environment and the next generation must start at the Copenhagen climate change negotiations.'

While, Craig Hilton-Taylor, manager of the IUCN Red List Unit, warned: 'This year's IUCN Red List makes for sobering reading. These results are just the tip of the iceberg. '

And the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has said more must be done to stop the decline in biodiversity.

'The continued and unprecedented loss of species must not be accepted as just a sad reality we can do nothing about. Biodiversity loss is an alarming indicator of the general health of our planet and for the wellbeing of our own species. We must act to halt this decline,' said Mark Wright, conservation science advisor at WWF-UK.

'In 2002, a globally endorsed commitment on the Convention on Biological Diversity promised to deliver a significant reduction in the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010. We're not even close to meeting this. This failure and the mechanisms to overcome it will need to be the dominant agenda item on next year’s meeting of the parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.'

Philippines prepares for Typhoon Lupit

Authorities in the Philippines have begun evacuating people and stock-piling food in anticipation of Typhoon Lupit.

The storm is expected to make landfall on Thursday and bring winds of up to 143 mph. Meteorologists have warned of mass flooding and extensive damage to small residences.

Authorities are determined to learn lessons from recent deadly storms and prevent any loss of life.

Huge storms on September 26th and October 3rd killed more than 850 people.

Hundreds of people are still living in evacuation shelters following Typhoon Parma and will remain so until after the latest storm strikes.

Loreto Espineli, police chief in Benguet province, told the Associated Press news agency said authorities were even willing to make people evacuate low-lying areas against their will this week.

'We will force then to leave if they don't want to. It is easier to evacuate people than to dig for bodies in mudslides,' he said.

The country's capital Manila which was hit with the worst flooding in four decades after Tropical Storm Ketsana struck in September is likely to be unaffected by the typhoon.

Brown delivers stark climate warning

Gordon Brown has warned world leaders there is 'no plan B' if efforts to secure a new global climate change deal in the coming months fail.

The prime minister made the comments to the Major Economies Forum in London this morning and said the Copenhagen conference in December must be the moment when a new historic agreement is reached.

'If we do not reach a deal at this time, let us be in no doubt, once the damage from unchecked emission growth is done, no retrospective global agreement, in some future period, can undo that choice. By then it will irretrievably too late,' he said.

Mr Brown said nations could not continue to operate on a 'business as usual' basis, warning new emissions targets will require a 'high level of international cooperation'.

There are now less than 50 days until the crucial Copenhagen summit and Mr Brown said on Monday: 'If we now, we will pay a heavy price.

'If we falter the Earth will be at risk, there is no plan B.'

Mr Brown has pledged to attend the December talks personally to help secure a new climate deal.

First 'vegetarian' spider discovered

The first spider believed to feast primarily on vegetarian food has been identified by scientists.

The neotropical jumping spider, known as Bagheera kiplingi, represents the first instance known to science of such as spider, new research claims.

Of the 40,000 spiders described the neotropical jumping spider is the only one not to directly hunt or trap its prey in its web.

The research published in the journal Current Biology shows how the spiders consume Beltian bodies, specialised leaf-tip structures produced by acacia shrubs.

'This is really the first spider known to specifically 'hunt' plants; it is also the first known to go after plants as a primary food source,' said Christopher Meehan of Villanova University.

He added the B. kiplingi is the only spider known to consume solid, vegetative plant food at all.

The spiders do occasionally prey on small invertebrates, but the authors confirmed through both field observations and chemical analyses of the spiders' tissue that these arachnids eat a primarily vegetarian diet.

Mr Meehan said his research suggested 'near-total vegetarianism' in the spiders.

He also proposed a theory as to how the spiders avoid the ants usually guarding the acacias.

'Jumping spiders in general possess incredibly advanced sensory-cognitive skills and eight-legged agility, and Bagheera is no exception,' he said. 'Individuals employ diverse, situation-specific strategies to evade ants, and the ants simply cannot catch them.'

He also suggested the spiders might actually mimic the ants.

'Young spiders in particular look a lot like and seem to act like ants, one reason they have perhaps flown under scientists' radar for so long despite intensive study of the ants and acacias,' the authors write.

Meehan suspects that the spiders wear the ants' chemical scent as well.

Obama: Time is running out

US president Barack Obama has urged world leaders to work together to counter the damaging effects of climate change in a speech at the United Nations.

Speaking in apocalyptic terms, Mr Obama suggested climate change was 'serious, urgent and growing'.

He added: 'Security, stability, all people, our prosperity and our health are all in jeopardy… and time is running out.'

China later announced significant carbon emissions cuts at the UN climate summit in New York.

The country's president Hu Jintao detailed ambitious plans that could make China one of the leading nations in tackling climate change.

The UN climate chief Yvo De Boer had already said the plan was 'so ambitious that it could well become the frontrunner in the fight to address climate change'.

The measures include plans to cut vehicle pollution, the closure of some power stations and more renewable sources of power.

China is currently the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases and has come under considerable pressure from the developed world to drastically cut emissions.

Mr Obama told delegates on Tuesday a global commitment was needed to counter climate change, regardless of what difficulties nations may be facing due to the global recession.

Failure to do so, he warned, would lead to 'irreversible catastrophe'.

Environment ministers from around the world, including secretary of state for energy and climate change Ed Miliband, are meeting in New York this week to discuss plans to tackle climate change.

On Monday Gordon Brown pledged to personally attend the Copenhagen climate talks in December in a bid to break the current deadlock and agree on a framework for tackling climate change after 2012 when the current Kyoto protocol expires.

Follow my lead: Brown urges action on climate change

Gordon Brown has urged his fellow world leaders to follow his lead and personally attend the crucial climate talks in Copenhagen in December.

The prime minister has warned a new climate deal is in danger of failure, claiming there will be no second chance to undo the damage to the environment if 'we miss the opportunity to protect the planet'.

Writing in Newsweek magazine on Monday, Mr Brown said: 'The negotiations are proceeding so slowly that a deal is in grave danger.

'Securing an agreement in Copenhagen will require world leaders to bridge our remaining differences and seize these opportunities. But I believe it can be done. And if it is necessary to clinch the deal, I will personally go to Copenhagen to achieve it.'

Mr Brown will meet and speak with world leaders at the United Nations in New York on Wednesday and again at the G20 summit in Pittsburgh.

The Copenhagen talks were originally meant to only be attended by environment ministers, but the British prime minister now believes issues have reached a deadlock and the stakes are too large to ignore.

The meetings will attempt to agree on a framework for tackling climate change after 2012 when the current Kyoto protocol expires.

Disagreements currently exist between the developed and the developing world over what actions should be taken to counter the damaging affect of a rise in the world's temperatures.

Developing nations have called for greater commitments to carbon emissions cuts by the developed nations, who meanwhile are seeking assurances from nations such as China and India over how they will cut their emissions.

Leading scientists calls for 40 per cent cut in emissions

A group of leading climate change scientists have called on world leaders to agree to drastically cut carbon emissions.

In a statement, instigated by the WWF, the experts have called for industrialised countries to make a commitment at the upcoming UN climate summit in Copenhagen, to cut carbon emissions by at least 40 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020.

The scientists claim the drastic cuts need to be made in order to keep temperatures below 2°C and avoid dangerous climate change.

World leaders are due to meet in December to discuss how best to tackle climate change and to potentially agree on a series of new emission-cutting targets.

Commenting on today's statement, Keith Allott, head of climate change at WWF-UK, said: 'As the UK government rallies the EU to step up to the mark ahead of Copenhagen, it is time for Gordon Brown and other world leaders to turn words into action.

'Industrialised nations need to prove that their pledge to keep the world below 2°C is not mere grandstanding. They must commit to global emissions cuts of at least 40 per cent by 2020; anything less will lead to a weak global agreement and leave the world wide open to the worst impacts of climate change.'

Experts claim a 40 per cent reduction in emissions is the 'very least' needed to provide a better chance at avoiding devastation for those low-lying countries most at risk from the temperature rise.

A number of key meetings regarding climate change are taking place in the coming weeks, including the UN General Assembly in New York and the G20 heads of state meeting in Pittsburgh.

Global health catastrophe brewing over climate change

Scientists and doctors have today warned of a looming global health catastrophe if climate change fails to be tackled.

An editorial and letter published simultaneously by the British Medical Journal (BMJ) and Lancet today warn a failure to agree radical cuts in carbon dioxide emissions at the UN climate change conference in Copenhagen 'spells a global health catastrophe'.

The two documents outline scientific evidence global temperatures are rising, and that it is widely accepted man is responsible and must act to prevent irreversible change.

They outline a low carbon economy is good for health as well as the environment, as eating less meat and exercising more reduces the risk of cancer, obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

The two groups point out the threat to health is especially evident in poorest countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where poverty and lack of resources, infrastructure, and often governance, greatly increase their vulnerability to the effects of climate change.

The BMJ and Lancet say: 'If we take climate change seriously, it will require major changes to the way we live, reducing the gap between carbon rich and carbon poor within and between countries.

'A successful outcome at Copenhagen is vital for our future as a species and for our civilisation. Failure to agree radical reductions in emissions spells a global health catastrophe, which is why health professionals must put their case forcefully now and after Copenhagen.'

'Politicians may be scared to push for radical reductions in emissions because some of the necessary changes to the way we live won't please voters,' Dr Fiona Godlee, editor in chief of the BMJ added.

'Doctors are under no such constraint. On the contrary we have a responsibility as health professionals to warn people how bad things are likely to get if we don't act now. The good news is that we have a positive message - that what is good for the climate is good for health,' she concluded.

Make air travel more expensive 'to save the planet'

The cost of air travel should be increased to deter people from flying in an attempt to combat climate change, the government's advisory body had claimed.

The Climate Change Committee said prices should rise so carbon dioxide emissions from aviation can be reduced to 2005 levels.

The rises would also raise billions of pounds in taxes to be used to help compensate developing countries for the damage aviation has had on the environment and help them adapt for the changing climate.

In a letter to the transport secretary Lord Adonis and Ed Miliband, the climate change secretary, the committee declared an agreement to cap emissions from aviation had to be agreed at the United Nations climate talks in Copenhagen this December.

The committee's chairman David Kennedy said: 'It is vital that an agreement capping global aviation emissions is part of a Copenhagen deal.

'We are calling for a cap that would not require people to fly less than today, but would constrain aviation emissions growth going forward.

'Such a cap together with deep emissions cuts in other sectors would limit the risk of dangerous climate change and the very damaging consequences for people here and in other countries that this would have.'

The committee had called for the aviation industry to cut emissions from planes back to 2005 levels by 2050.

It is claimed new technology or biofuels may help cut levels to those recorded four years ago.

Air pollution causing 24,000 premature deaths

Air pollution is causing 24,000 premature deaths every year in the UK, a report has found.

Researchers at the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies at King's College London said the government is failing to tackle air pollution 'despite the UK being one of the worst polluters in Europe'.

The report, published today, is part of the 'What is crime?' project, funded by the Wates Foundation. Today's report, 'Crime is in the air', highlights that an estimated 24,000 British residents die prematurely every year and thousands more are hospitalised because of air pollution.

Authors of the report said the air pollution in the capital needed 'urgent attention' ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games.

Professor Reece Walters said: 'Existing government regulations to tackle air pollution are based on a biased and erroneous partnership model that takes a soft approach with commercial polluters.

'The annual prosecutions for offences are appallingly disproportionate to the harm caused by air pollution. The existing regulatory system prioritises trade and economic prosperity over public safety; and this is totally unacceptable.'

The authors also indicated the European Union is currently preparing a legal case against the British government for repeatedly breaching pollution levels. More than 20 towns and cities have been found to be emitting pollution at twice the level specified in World Health Organisation (WHO) standards.

'The serious consequences of air pollution are frequently neglected. Crime is in the air indicates that current approaches to regulation and pollution control are biased in favour of economic imperatives and are failing to tackle the health problems caused by air pollution.

'Perhaps this is because the majority of people affected live in low income areas,' Richard Garside, director of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies added.

'Man in kayak' storms govt climate change dept

By Matthew Champion.

Green protestors linked to the week-long Climate Camp this morning stormed the headquarters of the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) in Westminster.

Our correspondent said up to 20 activists had taken over the lobby at the building on Whitehall Place, with some chaining themselves to the revolving doors.

Demonstrators are angry that the department's climate change targets do not go far enough.

Several police are in attendance, our correspondent added, as is a man inside a kayak and activists brandishing 'flippers and goggles'.

According to an unofficial spokesperson for the demonstrators, activists will only leave if they are granted an audience with climate change secretary Ed Miliband.

Mr Miliband is currently in India however as part of a south Asia tour.

Shortly before noon the protestors ended their blockade at DECC, travelling to nearby Trafalgar Square to go kayaking in the fountains.

We can save this world

By Matthew Champion.

Earth's future will hinge on untested and dangerous technologies unless carbon emissions are cut, a major new study has concluded.

Geo-engineering technologies, which involve removing CO2 emissions or reflecting the sun's rays, are 'very likely to be technically possible [and] potentially useful', scientists claimed on Tuesday.

The claim is made despite significant uncertainties surrounding the techniques' effectiveness, cost and environmental impact.

The UK Royal Society, which carried out the research, said the high-risk strategy of geo-engineering, and its consequences, may be the 'price we may have to pay for failure to act on climate change'.

Professor John Shepherd, who led the study, elaborated: 'It is an unpalatable truth that unless we can succeed in greatly reducing CO2 emissions we are headed for a very uncomfortable and challenging climate future, and geo-engineering will be the only option left to limit further temperature increases.

'Our research found that some geo-engineering techniques could have serious unintended and detrimental effects on many people and ecosystems - yet we are still failing to take the only action that will prevent us from having to rely on them.'





Two geo-engineering techniques evaluated by the Royal Society included carbon dioxide removal (CDR) and solar radiation management (SRM).

CDR techniques address the root of the problem - rising CO2 - and so have fewer uncertainties and risks, as they work to return the Earth to a more normal state.

They are therefore considered preferable to SRM techniques, but none has yet been demonstrated to be effective at an affordable cost, with acceptable environmental impacts, and they only work to reduce temperatures over very long timescales.

SRM techniques act by reflecting the sun's energy away from Earth, meaning they lower temperatures rapidly, but do not affect CO2 levels.

They therefore fail to address the wider effects of rising CO2, such as ocean acidification, and would need to be deployed for a very long time.

Although they are relatively cheap to deploy, there are considerable uncertainties about their regional consequences, and they only reduce some, but not all, of the effects of climate change, while possibly creating other problems.

The report concludes that SRM techniques could be useful if a threshold is reached where action to reduce temperatures must be taken rapidly, but that they are not an alternative to emissions reductions or CDR techniques.

Professor Shepherd added, 'None of the geo-engineering technologies so far suggested is a magic bullet, and all have risks and uncertainties associated with them.

'It is essential that we strive to cut emissions now, but we must also face the very real possibility that we will fail.

'If plan B is to be an option in the future, considerable research and development of the different methods, their environmental impacts and governance issues must be undertaken now.

'Used irresponsibly or without regard for possible side effects, geo-engineering could have catastrophic consequences similar to those of climate change itself.

'We must ensure that a governance framework is in place to prevent this.'

Environmental campaigners are currently counting down to the Copenhagen climate change conference, which begins on December 7th.

Green activists storm city

By Matthew Champion.

Environmental protestors from London's Climate Camp have glued themselves to the trading floor in RBS and stripped naked at a PR company employed by E.On.

On a day of direct action in the City at the end of the week-long Climate Camp, activists are blockading the headquarters of RBS in the City.

Demonstrators unfurled a banner reading 'RBS: Under new ownership' after, dressed as construction workers, using step ladders and bicycle locks to seal the entrance to the Bishopsgate building.

More activists then managed to superglue themselves to the floor inside.

'RBS is 70 per cent owned by the public but it is completely against the public interest for our money to be used to fund climate change,' said protestor James Clarke said.

'Yet again, the banks are putting profit over people.'

Over in Victoria Street, activists went naked and occupied the roof and lobby of PR firm Edelman, the firm behind media at the Kingsnorth power station.

'Edelman PR are nothing more than new coal spin doctors intent on making profit out of E.On's activities at the expense of the global climate,' said activist Alice Fielding.

At 10:47 BST the Metropolitan police said there were 100 people outside 250 Bishopsgate.

A message from Climate Camp posted on Twitter said one arrest was made and six court summons issued.

One of the arrested protestors, Chico Carino, told politics.co.uk: 'The police are at liberty to consider us criminals but the real criminals are people like E.On that RBS are funding.'

After leaving the City Demonstrators headed towards central London and the headquarters of oil giants BP and Shell.

They had previously spent the last week at Climate Camp on Blackheath.