[LINK] Sulfur cited in Earth's cooling

[Marghanita da Cruz]

Just for the record:
> The Kyoto Protocol set reduction targets for six greenhouse gases:
> 
>    1. Carbon dioxide (CO2);
>    2. Methane (CH4);
>    3. Nitrous oxide (N2O);
>    4. Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs);
>    5. Perfluorocarbons (PFCs); and
>    6. Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6)
> To simplify the discussion, the term "Carbon Dioxide equivalent", abbreviated to CO2-e has been established and is often simply shortened to Carbon. This refers to the effect each greenhouse gas would have in terms of persistance and warming effect in the atmosphere converted to the effect a molecule of CO2 would have. Further discussion here: Chapter 2. Understanding Climate Science - The Garnaut Climate Review, 2008
<http://www.ramin.com.au/eco-sydney/emission-trading.shtml>

Even with University education in chemistry, I often forget the other
greenhouse gases.

HFCs were tackled under the very successfully to close the hole in the 
Ozone layer and probably contribute something to the slow down. 
<http://www.epa.gov/ozone/defns.html>

And Nitrous Oxide is laughing gas... so maybe that has something to do with 
the current debate on climate change.

Marghanita
stephen at melbpc.org.au wrote:
> Sulfur cited in Earth's cooling
> 
> <http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20110705/BUSINESS/107050313/Sulf
> ur-cited-Earth-s-cooling> 
> 
> 
> Scientists have come up with a possible explanation for why the rise in 
> Earth's temperature paused for a bit during the 2000s, one of the hottest 
> decades on record.
> 
> It's all that sulfur pollution in the air from China's massive coal-
> burning, according to a new study.
> 
> Sulfur particles in the air deflect the sun's rays and can temporarily 
> cool things down a bit. That can happen even as coal-burning produces the 
> carbon dioxide that contributes to global warming
> 
> "People normally just focus on the warming effect of CO2 (carbon 
> dioxide), but during the Chinese economic expansion there was a huge 
> increase in sulfur emissions," which have a cooling effect, explained 
> Robert K. Kaufmann of Boston University. He's the lead author of the 
> study published Monday in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.
> 
> Chinese coal consumption doubled between 2003 and 2007, and that caused a 
> 26 percent increase in global coal consumption, he said.
> 
> But sulfur's cooling effect is only temporary, while the carbon dioxide 
> from coal burning stays in Earth's atmosphere a long time.
> 
> 
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> 
> 
> 
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-- 
Marghanita da Cruz
http://ramin.com.au
Tel: 0414-869202