Sun-dimming chemicals may curb global warming

Washington: Scientists are proposing an innovative way to tackle climate change: spraying sun-dimming chemicals into the Earth’s atmosphere. However, the technique is unproven as of now.

The research published in Environmental Research Letters and led by the scientists at Harvard and Yale universities, used a technique known as a stratospheric aerosol injection, which they say could cut the rate of global warming to half.

The technique involves spraying large amounts of sulfate particles into the Earth’s lower stratosphere at altitudes as high as 12 miles. The scientists proposed delivering these sulfates with specially designed high-altitude aircraft, balloons or large naval-style guns.

Despite the technology being undeveloped, the researchers said that developing a new, purpose-built tanker with substantial payload capabilities would neither be technologically difficult nor prohibitively expensive, reported CNN.

However, the report does acknowledge the fact that the technique is purely hypothetical.

“We simply show that a hypothetical deployment program commencing 15 years hence, while both highly uncertain and ambitious, would indeed be technically possible from an engineering perspective. It would also be remarkably inexpensive,” reads the report.

[source_without_link]ANI[/source_without_link]