How Does Air Pollution Affect Global Warming?

Many people these days are wondering, does pollution cause global warming? Air pollution has a tremendous impact not only on human health and well-being but also on the planet and the environment. Did you know that some pollutants contribute to global warming, whereas others temporarily cool down the earth? Want to learn more? Keep reading our entry!

• Pollutants that cause global warming
• Pollutants that temporarily cool down the planet
• Global warming vs air quality
• The takeaway

Pollutants that cause global warming

Air pollution includes numerous harmful substances such as greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide. These gases accelerate the global warming as they keep the heat from the sun and block it in the earth’s atmosphere. Even though the gases are a natural part of the atmosphere and were nothing to be worried about in the past, their amounts, and concentration have been gradually increasing for the past years.

As a consequence, we could have been observing global warming and climate change that started approximately in the 1900s. What’s the main reason affecting global temperature? Well, it’s enough to take a look at our lifestyle. Frequent commutes and vehicle exhaust fumes, consumerism and great amounts of pollutants from the factories, emissions from power plants, and many more.

But let’s get down to the point. What pollutants make the climate warmer? As examined by NASA, smog, and ozone have a direct impact on global warming. It’s important to mention that ozone influences mainly the area where it’s created, and it causes drastic changes to the ecosystem.

Pollutants that temporarily cool down the planet

It’s worth noting that not all pollutants cause global warming. There are also aerosols such as fossil fuels coming from volcanoes, sea spray, or dust. These can temporarily cool down the planet by changing the solar energy. For example, sea salt particles are able to reflect sunlight, which has a positive impact on the planet. On the other hand, black carbon particles, that are created by burning fossil fuels and wood, absorb the sunlight and cause global warming.

Moreover, it’s worth mentioning that scientists believe that low clouds can reflect solar radiation, which helps to cool down the planet.

Global warming vs air quality

Since aerosols that cool down the Earth remain in the atmosphere for shorter than greenhouse gases, the warming effect is much more powerful than the cooling effect. While air quality has a direct impact on global warming and climate change, it turns out that it also works the other way around. 

Drought and heat waves resulting from global warming have a negative impact on air quality, as they increase the ground-level ozone pollution, which is dangerous both for humans and animals. When it’s hot for a long time, high pressure keeps pollutants in one place, moreover, dusty and dry air affects the concentration of particulate pollution.

The takeaway

How does air pollution affect global warming? It turns out that air pollution has a significant impact on global warming. While some substances warm up the Earth, others cool it down for a few days or weeks. It’s worth learning about the most dangerous pollutants to make informed decisions and protect our health from harmful compounds.

Want to learn how air pollution affects the environment? Check out our blog!