Carbon Dioxide is public enemy number one, but what’s the second most dangerous pollutant in the world? Black carbon, aka soot. And according to NASA, tackling soot on would have an immediate cooling effect on global temperatures and save thousands of lives. More importantly, soot is an easy target for governments to address. Soot is one of the worst “killers” among all pollutants, responsible for thousands of premature deaths every year, making it a politically savvy target for governments to tackle.
Soot enters the atmosphere through incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and raises temperatures by absorbing and releasing solar radiation, making it the second biggest cause of global warming. NASA is hoping governments will focus on soot reduction while negotiating the treaty to replace the Kyoto protocol, as cutting soot emissions would immediately slow global warming and save lives.
Find out more at NASA.
