Monday, February 21, 2011

Not Just Carbon Emissions: Additional Ways to Reduce Climate Change


Blog post based on Piecemeal Possibilities publish in The Economist, February 19th, 2011.

This article was very interesting because it is a reminder that there is more to global warming than just carbon emissions. There is deforestation as well as greenhouse gases and other atmospheric pollutants.  According to the article, focusing on reducing these other causes could help lessen climate change. As of right now, reducing carbon emissions is an expensive and laborious project as carbon is the heart of our industrial life. The ability to control other pollutants might be easier and more cost-effective. These other causes may require less multinational oversight as well.
The article gives the example of how reducing black carbon that is obtained by inefficient combustion in cooking fires and by older diesel engines can give rapid and tangible results. The article mentions that this could be achieved by giving poor people cleaner ways to burn various fuels. This could not only help slow global warming but could also have huge health benefits.
Finally, the article mentioned that even if we take other actions to mitigate climate change, it is still very important to continue keeping in mind the importance of decarbonisation.

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