Many geo-engineering schemes -- some of the best known invite ocean fertilisation or attempting to alter atmospheric components in near space-- have been widely dismissed as wacky or dangerous.

"We need to investigate if any of these schemes could help us avoid the most dangerous changes to our climate and to fully understand what other impacts they may have," said John Shepherd, heading the Royal Society working group that will carry out the study.

"Whatever solutions technology may offer us in the future, it's clear that the need to cut emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere is now more urgent than ever."

Geo-engineering encompasses a broad range of projects that aim to avert the consequences of man-made global warming, or at least give a few years' breathing space for finding a more durable solution to the problem.

Proposals include sowing the oceans with iron particles in order to boost the growth of surface plankton that would then suck up more atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), the principal greenhouse gas.

Another idea is to distribute tiny particles of sulphur dioxide in the stratosphere. Circulating the globe, these whitish particles would reflect solar radiation, thus helping to prevent the planet's surface from warming.

A US scientist has even proposed erecting a mirrored sunshade in orbit that could cool the planet by a couple of degrees.

Such schemes were dismissed as ludicrous or desperate a few years ago, but are now starting to get a serious hearing as political efforts to reduce carbon emissions fall far short of what scientists say is needed.

Shepherd admitted: "Some of these proposals seem fantastical, and may prove to be so. Our study aims to separate the science from the science fiction and offer recommendations on which options deserve serious consideration."

Green groups and many scientists are deeply sceptical about geo-engineering, warning that these schemes may simply create new problems.

For instance, plankton blooms caused by iron fertilisation may cause oxygen starvation in some waters, killing off fish and other life, they say.

In its landmark Fourth Assessment Report last year, the UN's Nobel-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said geo-engineering projects were "largely speculative and with the risk of unknown side effects."

In November 2007, countries gathered under an international accord on maritime pollution warned against ocean fertilisation.

Parties to the London Convention and London Protocol declared that they held authority over such experiments, and "large-scale operations" of this kind "are currently not justified."

The Royal Society said the report is expected to be published in mid-2009.

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