Cleaning Ship Emissions - Bad?
Published by Campbell M Gold in Blowing in the Wind · Sunday 09 Jun 2024
Tags: Cleaning, Ship, Emissions, Ship, Emissions, Air, Quality, Global, Warming
Tags: Cleaning, Ship, Emissions, Ship, Emissions, Air, Quality, Global, Warming
Cleaning up ship emissions could lead to faster global warming.
There is a profound irony here...
This reduction is due mainly to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) 2020 regulation, which led to an 80% decrease in sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions from international shipping.
A recent study by Tianle Yuan at the University of Maryland suggests that this reduction in SO2 emissions has inadvertently contributed to accelerated global warming.
Based on satellite observations and mathematical models, Yuan's study estimated a more significant warming effect than some earlier studies.
SO2 contributes to air pollution and acts as a cooling agent by creating aerosols that reflect sunlight into space.
The study estimates that the reduction in aerosols from ships may be responsible for up to 80% of the increase in global heat uptake observed since 2020, particularly impacting major shipping lanes like the South Atlantic.
The researchers acknowledge that reducing aerosols from ships was intended to benefit public health. Still, the decrease in aerosol has temporarily accelerated global warming by dimming clouds across the global oceans.
This could help explain recent dramatic global temperature increases alongside rising greenhouse gas concentrations and El Niño conditions.
The study also raises questions about potential methods to counteract warming, such as "marine cloud brightening." However, it highlights the challenges and emphasises the need to carefully consider the ethical and practical implications of such interventions.
Overall, the study points to the need for careful consideration of the potential unintended consequences of environmental policies.
Source: msn.com and AI
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