Black carbon particles in the Western Pacific are at levels comparable to megacities like Houston and Los Angeles because they are floating widely throughout the atmosphere. These dark colored particles, which form from incomplete combustion, are one of the major contributors to climate change by absorbing solar radiation and by causing snow and ice to melt faster. The discovery is just one of a number that’s expected to come out of the far-reaching expedition called HIPPO (HAIPER Pole-to-Pole... [Read more]

Carbon dioxide is usually the greenhouse gas of choice in climate discussions, mainly because it’s long lasting, so the impacts of higher levels unfold over decades, if not centuries. But a new policy paper by the UNEP and World Meteorological Association shines light on the lesser discussed, more immediately potent molecules in the atmosphere: black carbon, and ground-level ozone. The paper states that if reduction measures were introduced on these other molecules (by 2030), future global... [Read more]