Cut carbon emissions or aliens may attack Earth, scientists warn

According to a new report, rising greenhouse gas emissions could cause extraterrestrials to feel threatened, making them likely to attack in order to defend their planets.

Scientists from Nasa and Pennsylvania State University believe that from a long distance, the changes in Earth's temperature could be perceived as a serious threat made by an out-of-control civilisation.

In the report, entitled Would Contact with Extraterrestrials Benefit or Harm Humanity? A Scenario Analysis, Shawn Domagal-Goldman, from Nasa's Planetary Science Division, and colleagues outline a list of outcomes which could occur were aliens to land on our planet.

They claim it will help humanity 'prepare for actual contact' and they divided the alien contacts into three different categories - beneficial, neutral or harmful.

In the best-case scenarios outlined in the report, they suggest we will be able to swap information with them in order to overcome poverty, hunger and disease.

However, at the opposite end of the scale would be an Independence Day-style attack, which sees the destruction of Earth.

'These scenarios give us reason to limit our growth and reduce our impact on global ecosystems. It would be particularly important for us to limit our emissions of greenhouse gases, since atmospheric composition can be observed from other planets,' the researchers wrote.

Ministry of Defence files released earlier this month revealed that 'worm-shaped' UFOs were spotted 'wriggling around in the sky' above East Dulwich by a mother and daughter.

They reported the incident to police and two officers reportedly arrived, calling themselves Mork and Mindy.


/Metro/