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Summary The molecule can convert pollutants into compounds which can lead to cloud formation.
A new molecule has been detected in the earths atmosphere which could help produce a cooling effect, scientists said, but it remains to be seen whether it can play a major role in tackling global warming.The molecule can convert pollutants, such as nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide, into compounds which can lead to cloud formation, helping to shield the earth from the sun, the researchers said.Over the past century, the earths average temperature has risen by 0.8 degrees Celsius. Scientists say the increase must be limited to below two degrees Celsius this century to prevent rising sea levels and other unwelcome consequences.But mainstream ways of curbing warming, such as renewable power and energy efficiency, are not delivering results fast enough.In a paper published in the journal Science on Thursday, researchers from the Universities of Manchester and Bristol, and the U.S.-based Sandia National Laboratories detected the new molecules, called Criegee biradicals, using a powerful light source 100 million times stronger than the sun.We found the biradicals could oxidise sulfur dioxide, which eventually turns into sulphuric acid, which has a known cooling effect, Carl Percival, one of the studys authors and a reader in atmospheric chemistry at the University of Manchester, told Reuters.However, it is too early to predict how many molecules would have to be formed to make a substantial impact on the worlds temperature and their safety would have to be tested.The effects of cloud formation on the climate are also still far from understood.
