Posted on August 5, 2007 in Latest News
A controversial method for protecting the Earth from global warming has been proposed by Nobel Prize-winning scientist Paul Crutzen of Germany’s Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
He suggests injecting particles of sulfur (which reflect the sun’s rays) into the stratosphere—the upper layer of the atmosphere—to cool the planet and buy time for humans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
This could be done by dropping sulfur from high-altitude balloons or by firing it into the atmosphere with heavy artillery shells, he says. These particles then act like tiny mirrors, bouncing the sun’s light and heat back into space.
Crutzen’s plan is based on the cooling effects of volcanic eruptions, which send large sulfur-rich clouds into the atmosphere.
Further investigations are being conducted to check the feasibility of this venture. There is a risk of the sulfur becoming a health hazard if it rained back down on Earth.
In addition there could be an increase in damage to the ozone layer and a whitening of the sky.
It is extremely important for countries to reduce the emission of their green house gases. However such extreme measures like this may be necessary to provide more time.
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