Can Reducing Black Carbon Emissions Counteract Global Warming?

• Published in: Environmental science & technology 2005-08, Vol.39 (16), p.5921-5926
• Main Authors: Bond, Tami C, Sun, Haolin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT; 02 PETROLEUM; 03 NATURAL GAS; AEROSOLS; Air Pollution - economics; Air Pollution - prevention & control; Applied sciences; Atmospheric pollution; BOILERS; Carbon; Carbon black; Climate change; CLIMATE MODELS; CLIMATIC CHANGE; Climatology. Bioclimatology. Climate change; COAL; Costs and Cost Analysis; DATA ANALYSIS; DIESEL FUELS; Earth, ocean, space; Emissions; Emissions control; ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY AND ECONOMY; Environment; ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY; ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Exact sciences and technology; External geophysics; FOSSIL FUELS; GASOLINE; General processes of purification and dust removal; Global warming; GREENHOUSE EFFECT; GREENHOUSE GASES; Humans; INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS; Meteorology; MITIGATION; Models, Theoretical; NATURAL GAS; Policy Making; Pollution; POLLUTION SOURCES; Prevention and purification methods; United Nations; WOOD FUELS
• ISSN: 0013-936X; 1520-5851
• DOI: 10.1021/es0480421

Field measurements and model results have recently shown that aerosols may have important climatic impacts. One line of inquiry has investigated whether reducing climate-warming soot or black carbon aerosol emissions can form a viable component of mitigating global warming. We review and acknowledge scientific arguments against considering aerosols and greenhouse gases in a common framework, including the differences in the physical mechanisms of climate change and relevant time scales. We argue that such a joint consideration is consistent with the language of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. We synthesize results from published climate-modeling studies to obtain a global warming potential for black carbon relative to that of CO2 (680 on a 100 year basis). This calculation enables a discussion of cost-effectiveness for mitigating the largest sources of black carbon. We find that many emission reductions are either expensive or difficult to enact when compared with greenhouse gases, particularly in Annex I countries. Finally, we propose a role for black carbon in climate mitigation strategies that is consistent with the apparently conflicting arguments raised during our discussion. Addressing these emissions is a promising way to reduce climatic interference primarily for nations that have not yet agreed to address greenhouse gas emissions and provides the potential for a parallel climate agreement.