Thursday, January 17, 2013

Black Carbon Larger Cause Of Climate Change Than Previously Assessed By Joe Romm on Jan 16, 2013

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/01/16/1452741/black-carbon-larger-cause-of-climate-change-than-previously-assessed/#more-1452741

By Joe Romm on Jan 16, 2013

Black carbon is the second largest man-made contributor to global warming and its influence on climate has been greatly underestimated, according to the first quantitative and comprehensive analysis of this issue.

Key findings

Black carbon has a much greater (twice the direct) climate impact than reported in previous assessments.
Black carbon ranks “as the second most important individual climate-warming agent after carbon dioxide”.
Cleaning up diesel engines and some wood and coal combustion could slow the warming immediately.

The landmark study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres today says the direct influence of black carbon, or soot, on warming the climate could be about twice previous estimates. Accounting for all of the ways it can affect climate, black carbon is believed to have a warming effect of about 1.1 Watts per square meter (W/m²), approximately two thirds of the effect of the largest man made contributor to global warming, carbon dioxide. Co-lead author David Fahey from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said, “This study confirms and goes beyond other research that suggested black carbon has a strong warming effect on climate, just ahead of methane.”

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If we did everything we could to reduce these emissions we could buy ourselves up to half a degree less warming–or a couple of decades of respite,” says co-author Professor Piers Forster from the University of Leeds’s School of Earth and Environment.

The international team urges caution because the role of black carbon in climate change is complex.

----- [Some effects of black carbon cause warming, some counteract warming, depending on other factors]

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