How China’s Pollution Controls Accelerated Global Warming
A new study finds that China’s sulphur pollution cuts helped clear the air—but also sped up global warming by removing reflective aerosols.
According to a new research published by Norway’s CICERO Climate Institute, reducing sulphur pollution from China’s coal plants, industry, and vehicle exhaust over the past 15 to 20 years has accelerated the pace of global warming since 2010, reported The Energy Mix.
- The researchers believe that reducing sulphur pollution has increased global temperatures by about 0.07 degrees Celsius.
According to New Scientist, China had extremely poor air quality in the early 2000s due to rapid industrialisation. This led to a public outcry, particularly in the run-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
In response, China initiated a crackdown on sulphur dioxide emissions by fitting scrubbers to coal power plants to curb the hazardous emissions.
- Moreover, vehicle exhaust regulations were tightened to control the situation, eventually reducing sulphur emissions by 75%.
- While this progress marked a significant improvement for public health, it also strained the climate by accelerating the rate of global warming.
Impact of SO2 on Climate
Sulphur dioxide (SO2) in the air converts into sulphate aerosols in the atmosphere, which help cool the planet, as revealed by a study from the University of Cambridge.
- The aerosols radiate sunlight back into space and protect the Earth from solar radiation.
- They also help in the formation of clouds, increasing the occurrence of whiter, longer-lived clouds that further contribute to reflecting sunlight.
- Removing these aerosols from the atmosphere eliminates the cooling effect, reported New Scientist.
“The warming was always there; we just had some artificial cooling from pollution. By removing the pollution, we are now seeing the full effect of the greenhouse gas-driven warming,” said lead author Bjørn Samset to New Scientist.
While earlier studies have recognized this effect, the new study is the first to model and quantify the specific atmospheric impact of China’s efforts to cut pollution.
