How to save your glacier and avert a sea level catastrophe - a practical guide

Scientists and engineers have dreamed up bold plans to slow the rate at which glaciers are melting.

They range from building vast underwater barriers to keep warmer water away from the ice, to drilling deep into glaciers to remove meltwater flowing beneath them.

The schemes are part of a wave of so-called geoengineering projects, once considered scientific taboo.

Scientists propose cleaning service to remove meltwater and clean the surface of the glacier.

This approach could involve drilling small holes in the ice to allow the water to drain away an idea Professor MacAyeal likened it to draining a bathtub’ One day , robots powered by AI could even be working in shifts to clear away surface water.

Snow fences could be installed across the width of a glacier or ice sheet.

Geoengineers argue that saving the world’s glaciers is vital if we are to avoid a looming disaster.

But are their quick-fix solutions practical? The white paper evaluated all the proposals on a scale of 1 to 3 , with higher scores indicating greater potential.

No option ranked higher than 2.5 .