Aerosols Spraying into Atmosphere May Help Combat Global Warming

Scientists are planning to put aerosols into the atmosphere to chemically unlock the greenhouse effect and allow more of the sun’s reflected heat to radiate back into space, thus reducing the effects of global warming.

According to a report in Discovery News, the idea has been put forward by David Keith from the University of Calgary’s Energy and Environmental Systems Group, and his colleagues.

Scientists are concerned that Earth is growing increasingly warm due to “greenhouse gases,” such as carbon dioxide, in the atmosphere that inhibit the planet’s ability to radiation heat into space.

Human-related activities, such as burning fossil fuels, are believed to be accelerating the planet’s accumulation of greenhouse gases, even though naturally occurring phenomena such as volcanic eruptions and fires account for 97 percent of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

“Even if we stopped emissions instantly today, we still have enough CO2 in the atmosphere that it is possible we would have unacceptable levels of climate risk,” said Keith.

“While we may be lucky and find climate only warms by a degree or so, we may be unlucky and find it’s more like five or six (degrees). We’re not going to know until we’ve put enough CO2 to make an irreversible decision,” he added.

Keith and colleagues want to investigate putting aerosols, such as sulfur, into the atmosphere to chemically unlock the greenhouse effect and allow more of the sun’s reflected heat to radiate back into space.