Study finds reduced emissions during epidemic aggravated climate change - Times of India
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STOCKHOLM: Researchers discovered that Covid epidemic shutdowns in South Asia significantly reduced the number of short-lived cooling particles in the air while having no effect on the concentration of long-lived greenhouse gases. Researchers were thus able to demonstrate how lower air pollution emissions lead to cleaner air and faster global warming. The study was published in the journal, 'Climate and Atmospheric Science'. It is well known that emissions of sulphur and nitrogen oxides, as well as other air pollutants, cause the formation of aerosols (particles) in the air, which can offset or mask the full climate warming caused by greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane. However, this masking effect' has received little attention. Large-scale experiments involving vast areas would be required to determine the size, which is impractical. The Covid pandemic became such a 'natural' experiment. Due to pandemic restrictions, many industries