Confronting the role of non-CO2 pollutants in global warming (could forestall abrupt climate change)

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/es903289a

Confronting the role of non-CO₂ pollutants in global warming

Swift action on other greenhouse agents could solve the “fast half” of the climate problem, researchers say.

Noreen Parks
Environ. Sci. Technol., Article ASAP
Publication Date (Web): November 18, 2009
Copyright © 2009 American Chemical Society

Aggressively reducing emissions of non-CO₂ climate drivers could forestall abrupt climate change for up to 40 years, according to a recent study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2009, DOI http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2009/10/19/0902568106.abstract">10.1073/pnas.0902568106). Without such efforts, even drastic cuts to CO₂ emissions will fail to put the brakes on planetary warming soon enough to avoid climate tipping points, the authors warn.

Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), black carbon (soot), ground-level ozone, and methane together represent an estimated 40−50% of the warming caused by human activities. “We’re on track for a 2 °C warming that will put us in the danger zone, and http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/es903062g">current research shows it’s coming faster than anticipated,” says study coauthor Durwood Zaelke of the http://www.igsd.org/">Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development. “Restricting CO₂ emissions is absolutely critical, but it won’t be enough. So the question is how quickly we can deliver cooling on the non-CO₂ side.”

Implementing “fast-action” mitigation strategies based on available technologies would jump-start this effort, the researchers say. One key step would be to phase down the production and use of HFCs, which are now known to act as long-lasting greenhouse gases. Use of HFCs has been growing because of the rising demand for air-conditioning and refrigeration in developing countries. Current projections indicate that by mid-century the impact of HFCs on the climate could be approximately 20% of that from CO₂ emissions, if the current trends continue unabated. “The Montreal Protocol (MP) has already delayed climate change by 7−12 years,” lead author Mario Molina of the University of California San Diego noted in a prepared statement. “We have to take advantage of the proven ability of this legally binding treaty to quickly phase down HFCs.” North American leaders http://www.igsd.org/documents/PR_NAHFCproposal1245pm.pdf">recently submitted a proposal to start this process for consideration at the MP annual meeting in November.

Soot now ranks as the second or third biggest contributor to climate change. However, soot’s short life span offers opportunities for comparatively quick fixes—such as particulate filters for vehicles and clean-burning or solar-powered stoves—that could yield significant climate savings, the authors say. Likewise, the means for slashing levels of ozone precursors such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides are within reach. Research shows that rigorous enforcement of air-pollution technologies and regulations could cut these emissions by more than half, dramatically decreasing tropospheric ozone. “We know how to curb air pollution; we just need to do it better and faster, and get the solutions applied in developing countries. We can borrow from and utilize working international agreements to do this,” Zaelke emphasizes.

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[obliviously]

1. Are these real "facts" or adjusted for more effect!

[OKIsItJustMe]

2. Judge for yourself

http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2009/10/19/0902568106.abstract

[obliviously]

3. More temperature "facts" that were mentioned in the emails.

[OKIsItJustMe]

4. I see you truly are oblivious.

Well, “ignorance is bliss” or so they say…

[obliviously]

5. You wouldn't be interested in buying some swamp

land would you?

[Nihil]

6. Nah ...

... would hate to make you homeless ...
:P