20/11/2006 (Agence Europe) - In a study published in the journal Environmental Science and Development, European researchers compared the results of 26 models of atmospheric chemistry covering the entire global atmosphere. The models showed that with no legislation, emissions would increase to potentially dangerous levels. Even with the legislation that is currently in place, the models showed that emissions would still increase and the threat to the global eco-system would rise with them. A third scenario, using the full potential of existing technology to reduce emissions, showed a substantial improvement in both ozone levels and the impact of nitrogen deposition. Thus, better use of technology can reduce air pollution as well as lower the impact of global warming by greenhouse gases not covered by the Kyoto Protocol. The next step will be to develop practical guidance on how to implement these findings based on a thorough examination of the costs and benefits. The research was carried out by scientists from the European Commission's Joint Research Centre working with ACCENT, an EU-funded Network of Excellence focussing on atmospheric composition change. (oj)