American And Dutch Scientists Propose Fighting Global Warming With Pollution

From ClickToNews

[edit] Abstract

A proposal made by a prominent Dutch scientist, that Global Warming could be offset by intentionally adding a layer of pollution to reflect incoming sunlight, has caught the attention of American scientists and NASA.

[edit] Details

Paul J. Crutzen, a Nobel laureate, presented what he himself considers a drastic, last ditch type of proposal for dealing with Global Warming. Talking of his proposal, Crutzen said "it was meant to startle the policymakers."

However, this drastic, startling proposal has taken root in the minds of some Amercian scientists, including those at NASA's Ames Research Center, which is seriously examining and considering the use of intentional pollutants to counter the Global Warming effect.

Crutzen's proposal essentially has large, high altitude ballons that fire sulfates into the upper atmosphere. Sulfates help reflect sunlight, thus helping to cool the Earth. The idea was apparently inspired by naturally occuring volcanic activity.

Critics of the proposal, of which there were many at the recent UN conference on climate change in Kenya, blasted the proposal on many fronts. Some suggested the the release of gasses into the atmosphere is what got us into trouble in the first place. Others point out that reducing the amount of sunlight that reaches the Earth's surface could effect plants and farming in general. Still others object that the sulfates injected into the atmosphere would precipitate out in acid rain - which would make worse an already a serious problem for many regions as it.