The Hidden Effect of Cleaner Air on Global Warming The recent debate over climate science in the UK has brought to light a fascinating phenomenon: the impact of falling aerosol pollution on global warming.
While some politicians have seized on the idea that cleaner air causes rising temperatures, the science tells a more complex story.
Fossil fuel emissions have a dual nature: carbon dioxide (CO2) drives global warming by trapping heat in the atmosphere and raising Earth's surface temperature, while sulphur pollution reflects sunlight back into space, partly counteracting this effect.