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Carnegie study finds climate impact of particulates varies greatly depending on where the pollution originated

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However, while greenhouse gases cause warming by trapping heat in the atmosphere, some aerosols can have a cooling effect on the climate because the aerosol particles cause more of the sun’s light to be reflected away from the planet. In many cases, the strongest climate effects of aerosols are felt far from where the aerosols are emitted.

Climate 170
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Studies find global COVID-19 lockdowns have significantly reduced PM2.5 and NO2 pollution, but ozone up

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Levels of two major air pollutants have been reduced significantly since lockdowns began in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but a secondary pollutant—ground-level ozone—has increased in China, according to new research. For comparison, columns over the same time periods are shown for 2019.

Ozone 291
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EEA report: EVs are better for climate and air quality

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Battery electric cars emit less greenhouse gases and air pollutants over their entire life cycle than petrol and diesel cars, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) report. Shifting to electric vehicles could also reduce noise pollution, especially in cities where speeds are generally low and traffic often stands still.

Climate 268
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Study measures the effect of regional change in clouds caused by ships’ emissions; masking GHG warming

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This puffy line is not just exhaust from the engine, but a change in the clouds that’s caused by small airborne particles of pollution. Pollution from ships creates lines of clouds that can stretch hundreds of miles. The difference helps explain how much industrial pollution influences clouds. NASA Earth Observatory.

Emissions 223
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PNNL modeling study finds climate benefit for cutting soot, methane smaller than previous estimates

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Cutting the amount of short-lived, climate-warming emissions such as soot and methane won’t limit global warming as much as previous studies have suggested, according to a new study from the Joint Global Change Research Institute in College Park, Md., More realistic emission reductions would likely provide an even smaller climate benefit.

Climate 199
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Emissions Analytics argues that current Pareto-efficient solution for decarbonization would be hybrids, not BEVs, based on do-no-harm

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The vehicles travelled in convoy to eliminate any effects of driving style or climatic conditions. Every air pollutant is more than 90% its limit. The two vehicles were less than one year old, had their original tires with similar tread depths, and closely matched mileage. times the maximum permissible tailpipe particle mass emissions.

Emissions 395
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ICCT finds growth in shipping in Arctic could increase pollutant emissions 150-600% by 2025 with current fuels

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Comparison of the potential reduction in emissions with the application of lower sulfur 0.5% While that report projected vessel activity, it did not explore the environmental impacts of increased shipping in terms of air emissions or the potential climate impacts from increases in short-lived climate pollutants such as black carbon.

Pollution 150