Pollution & Climate Change
Pollution & Climate Change
Climate change and air pollution are tightly intertwined. The primary CO2 emissions source – fossil fuel extraction and combustion – is a major air pollution generator, fuelling climate change. Certain pollutants impact sunlight absorption, affecting climate, with some warming and others cooling the Earth. Methane, black carbon, ozone, and aerosols are short-lived climate influencers. They significantly impact climate, with black carbon and methane ranking high after CO2. Global warming pollution and climate change harm people, wildlife, and ecosystems by trapping heat worldwide through a pollution layer caused by fossil fuel-burning vehicles, factories, homes, and power plants. This pollution lingers in the atmosphere, trapping heat for decades.
- Pollution
- Fossil fuels
- Air pollutants
- Greenhouse gases
- Global warming
- Atmospheric effects
- Environmental impact