article thumbnail

UCL-led study finds climate impact caused by growing space industry needs urgent mitigation

Green Car Congress

The rapidly growing space industry may have a greater climate effect than the aviation industry and undo repair to the protective ozone layer if left unregulated, according to a new study led by UCL and published in the journal Earth’s Future as an open-access paper. —Ryan et al. 1 growth in 2019 launches and re-entries.

Climate 428
article thumbnail

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

Green Car Congress

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. Ozone is harmful to humans at ground-level, causing pulmonary and heart disease. —Guy Brasseur.

Ozone 291
article thumbnail

TOAR shows present-day global ozone distribution and trends relevant to health; public database

Green Car Congress

Ozone levels across much of North America and Europe dropped significantly between 2000 and 2014. People living in parts of southern Europe, South Korea and southern Japan and China also experienced more than 15 days a year of ozone levels above 70 ppb. Trends in daily maximum ozone levels (known as 4MDA8) at urban and non-urban sites.

Ozone 255
article thumbnail

WHO issues new, lower Global Air Quality Guidelines for classical pollutants

Green Car Congress

New WHO has issued new Global Air Quality Guidelines (AQGs) that reduce levels of key air pollutants, some of which also contribute to climate change. Since WHO’s last 2005 global update, there has been a marked increase of evidence that shows how air pollution affects different aspects of health. WHO global air quality guidelines.

Pollution 435
article thumbnail

Satellite method provides insight into ozone-NOx-VOCs sensitivity for different locations

Green Car Congress

Ozone pollution near Earth’s surface is one of the main ingredients of summertime smog. It is also not directly measurable from space due to the abundance of ozone higher in the atmosphere, which obscures measurements of surface ozone. —Jin et al.

Ozone 150
article thumbnail

Researchers identify four new man-made gases contributing to destruction of ozone layer

Green Car Congress

A study by an international team led by scientists at the University of East Anglia have identified four new man-made gases in the atmosphere, all of which are contributing to the destruction of the ozone layer. CFCs are the main cause of the hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica. Johannes C. Laube, Mike J. Brenninkmeijer, Paul J.

Ozone 246
article thumbnail

Study finds that unregulated VSLS efficient at influencing climate through depletion of stratospheric ozone

Green Car Congress

Although halogens released from long-lived anthropogenic substances, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), are the principal cause of the recent depletion of stratospheric ozone, recent observations show that very short-lived substances (VSLS), with lifetimes generally under six months, are also an important source of stratospheric halogens.

Ozone 150