MOSCOW, May 30 (RIA Novosti) - Russian scientists believe that global warming can be slowed down by releasing aerosols into the lower stratosphere, a top scientist said Wednesday.
The director of the Global Climate and Ecology Institute, Yury Izrael, told a news conference that if a sulfur-based aerosol were sprayed into the atmosphere at a height of 10-14 kilometers (six to 10 miles), the sulfur particles would reflect the sun's rays.
He said one million tons of aerosol would enable a reduction of solar irradiance at the Earth's surface of 0.5-1%, and a recution in lower tropospheric temperature of 1-1.5 degrees Celsius.
Izrael said the method demands more detailed development, and that a relevant decision on an international level should be made for it to come into force.
However, the academic said the method is not an alternative to measures for fighting climate change envisioned by the Kyoto Protocol.
"I don't want this to contradict the Kyoto Protocol, but to run in parallel with existing methods... I am advocating that work be conducted simultaneously on several techniques," Izrael said.
He also said the Russian scientists' method would make the fight against climate change faster and cheaper.
The scientist said the global temperature in the coming century could rise by 1.4-4 degrees Celsius, causing droughts, floods and cyclones. Russia could face the extinction of 20-30% of its animal and plant life with a 2 degree rise, he said.
However, Izrael denied the current high temperatures in Moscow are connected with climate change.
"Any fact, even the most acute changes should not be directly linked to climate change, but should be considered as part of temperature fluctuations," he said.
