Latest Black carbon Stories
Cutting Scotland's greenhouse gas emissions by a half within 20 years is achievable, a study suggestsCutting Scotland's greenhouse gas emissions by a half within 20 years is achievable, a study suggests.Scientists say greener transport and cleaner power generation could help deliver big savings on CO2 emissions. The researchers say the use of smart meters for homes and businesses, improved recycling, and greener building designs could make a difference. They also recommend carbon capture and...
A new analysis, published last week and conducted by a team of scientists led by Drew Shindell of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York City, shows stricter vehicle emission standards would yield major health, agricultural, and climate benefits.Shindell and colleagues used a comprehensive computer model and climate simulator -- one of the first capable of accounting for the role of short-lived particles expelled in vehicle fumes called aerosols -- that shows vehicle...
Polluted snow causes early runoff, stronger monsoons in AsiaIn some cases, soot "“ the fine, black carbon silt that is released from stoves, cars and manufacturing plants "“ can pack more of a climatic punch than greenhouse gases, according to a paper published in the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.Researchers at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the University of Michigan and NOAA found that soot landing on snow on the massive Tibetan Plateau...
Black carbon (BC) and tropospheric ozone (O3) are harmful air pollutants that also contribute to climate change. The emission of both will continue to negatively impact both human health and climate.While our scientific understanding of how black carbon and tropospheric ozone affect climate and public health has significantly improved in recent years, the threat posed by these pollutants has catalysed a demand for knowledge and concrete action from governments, civil society, United Nations...
By Adam Voiland, NASA's Earth Science News Team An assessment report to be released this week by the United Nations Environment Program and the World Meteorological Organization shows that reducing emissions of two common air pollutants -- black carbon and gases integral to the production of ground-level ozone -- could slow the rate of climate change markedly over the next half-century.For decades, scientists have known both substances harm human health. More recently, evidence has emerged...
Climatologists have known for decades that airborne particles called aerosols can have a powerful impact on the climate. However, pinpointing the magnitude of the effect has proven challenging because of difficulties associated with measuring the particles on a global scale.Soon a new NASA satellite -- Glory -- should help scientists collect the data needed to provide firmer answers about the important particles. In California, engineers and technicians at Vandenberg Air Force Base are...
Shipping, China top emissions growth in new analysis of 150 years of emissionsA new analysis of sulfur emissions appearing in the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics shows that after declining for a decade, worldwide emissions rose again in 2000 due largely to international shipping and a growing Chinese economy. An accurate read on sulfur emissions will help researchers predict future changes in climate and determine present day effects on the atmosphere, health and the...
EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Jan. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- A NASA spacecraft carrying a Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) sensor designed to measure the global distribution of aerosols in Earth's atmosphere has arrived at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., in preparation for launch. Data provided by the innovative Aerosol Polarimetry Sensor, which will fly aboard NASA's Glory spacecraft, will help scientists better understand how aerosols impact global climate patterns. "The Glory Aerosol Polarimetry...
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Jan. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Solar Cookers International will exhibit solar cookers from around the world that are being used to prepare food and safe drinking water. Almost three billion people still cook their daily meals over open fires using various forms of biomass -- wood, dung, charcoal and agricultural waste -- depleting the earth's rapidly vanishing forests and groundcover. Solar cooking is clean technology. It is a technology that will save the...
Cooking shouldn't kill, but for many women and families around the world it does New York, NY (Vocus) December 23, 2010 The Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves - a partnership of governments, non-profit organizations, United Nations agencies, and the private sector working together to create a thriving global market for clean and efficient household cooking solutions - appeared on The Martha Stewart Show (12/22) to inform Stewart's vast audience about the dangers posed by exposure to...
