Plans to curb global warming may have opposite effect

London, Apr 25 (UNI) Various plans devised to curb global warming would backfire and damage the Earth's protective ozone shield, scientists said.

To reduce the amount of sunlight that reaches the planet's surface, several plans, including the use of light-reflecting sulphate particles in the atmosphere and putting mirrors in orbit around the planet, were proposed.

Scientists warned that using these radical ''geoengineering'' techniques to cool our overheated planet could present greater risks that could worsen global warming should they fail or be discontinued.

Their study concluded that injecting sulphate particles into the stratosphere would have a drastic impact on Earth's protective ozone layer.

The study, led by Dr Simone Tilmes of the National Centre for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado warned that injecting large amounts of sun-blocking particles might delay the recovery of the Antarctic ozone hole by decades and cause significant ozone loss over the Arctic, the Daily Telegraph reported.

Dr Tilmes said, ''Our research indicates that trying to artificially cool off the planet could have perilous side effects.

While climate change is a major threat, more research is required before society attempts global geoengineering solutions.'' The study concluded that, over the next few decades, artificial injections of sulphates could destroy between about one-quarter and three-quarters of the ozone layer above the Arctic.

This could affect a large part of the Northern Hemisphere because of atmospheric circulation patterns and the suphates would also delay the expected recovery of the ozone hole over the Antarctic by about 30 to 70 years, or until at least the last decade of this century, the scientists said.

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