Study Suggests Certain Pollution Reduction Strategies May Actually Be Contributing to Global Warming

A common mantra heard among some climate activists is that society should reduce human pollution at all costs. However, a new study found that recent progress made in reducing aerosol pollution may be causing more sunlight to stream into the earth, contributing to an increase in global temperature.

The study, titled “Recent reductions in aerosol emissions have increased Earth’s energy imbalance,” examined a rise in Earth’s Energy Imbalance (EEI). EEI is the measure of the amount of energy from the sun that arrives at Earth versus the amount of energy that returns to space.

This investigation into EEI was inspired by a strange discrepancy scientists noticed in a set of NASA instruments that have been floating in space since 2001. These instruments had been tracking the balance of energy entering and leaving the Earth’s atmosphere.

Aersol pollution from humans comes primarily from the burning of fossil fuels, which leave behind solid particles or liquid droplets suspended in the air. This pollution has the effect of reflecting light, which scientists think is keeping a portion of sunlight away from the Earth.

In January, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) found that 2023 was the hottest year in recorded history. The average global temperature is 2.43 degrees Fahrenheit higher than the pre-industrial era in 1850-1900.

This study hoped to answer why climate models have been inconsistent on this increased energy imbalance trend.

The quick progress climate activists have made at reducing aerosol emissions may have been too aggressive and caused an increased disruption in Earth’s energy imbalance too quickly.

While looking at the EEI balance into the future, the study predicts that the Earth is in for a period of accelerated warming on the surface, citing sea-surface temperatures. While Earth’s skies are getting clearer, it isn’t all good news for those concerned with global warming.

As humans strive to clean up the atmosphere and air quality, it seems like that goal can sometimes run counter to stopping the rise of global average temperatures on Earth.

A study published in 2022 found that global air pollution has dropped as much as 30% from the levels in the year 2,000.

It seems like climate activist efforts to address climate change have become a give-and-take. With better air quality, people experience better health outcomes. Airborne particles born from aerosol pollution are thought to be responsible for killing several million people per year.

Although the study lays out one possible reason for the greater-than-expected trend in sunlight absorption, models are still unable to account for as much as 40% of extra absorbed light.