Geoengineering, Wind and Sea Squirts

In this podcast from the Planet Earth Online collection and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), two researchers talk about the technological solutions some scientists say might have to be used to tackle climate change.

With average temperatures expected to rise by 2°C this century, and efforts to cut greenhouse emissions proving painfully slow so far, scientists are saying it might be prudent to have a plan B.

Professor Tim Lenton and Dr Nem Vaughan from the University of East Anglia explain the differences between the two approaches to geoengineering - removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and reflecting sunlight to keep temperatures down.

Later on in the recording, reporters find out how scientists use a field full of radars in Wales to help forecast extreme weather.

We also hear what the UK Government's chief scientific advisor thinks about the latest climate change controversies in the news, how researchers have figured out what colour dinosaurs were and why carpet sea squirts have been spotted in Scotland.

This podcast is dated 8 February 2010.

NERC is a part of the Research Councils UK (RCUK) partnership of research councils.