Title: Pros and cons of stratospheric aerosol injection
Authors: Alberto Boretti
Addresses: Mechanical Engineering Department, Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University, Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia; Faculty of Applied Sciences, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Abstract: Solar radiation management (SRM) geoengineering method of stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI) has been proposed to control global warming. The effect of sulphur injections at various locations in the stratosphere are studied by using climate models. These climate models have well-known limitations that are non-adequately addressed in the manuscript, specifically overrating the effect of the SO2 concentration. Examination of global temperatures reveals a smaller than assumed sensitivity to sulphates emissions, as well as to carbon dioxide emissions, and added phenomena missed in the models. Moreover, all the negative effects that the sulphur injections may have on the environment are neglected. Injection of sulphate particles into the stratosphere may thus have more downfalls than benefits, increasing environmental pollution without delivering significant warming reduction.
Keywords: climate models; sulphate injections; CO2; temperatures.
International Journal of Global Warming, 2020 Vol.21 No.1, pp.72 - 85
Received: 31 Jul 2019
Accepted: 21 Dec 2019
Published online: 26 Jun 2020 *