AN INTERNATIONAL move to curb air pollution is feared to have added to global warming. In January 2020, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) the United Nations agency responsible for prevention of marine and atmospheric pollution by ships enforced reduction of sulphur content in shipping fuels from 3.5 per cent to 0.5 per cent. The resultant decline in sulphur dioxide (SO₂) emissions, scientists say, could have played a role in the 1.32°C rise in global average temperature between November 2022 and October 2023, over the preindustrial era, as well as the record-breaking rise in sea surface temperature in the North Atlantic ocean in June 2023, which likely led to the worst-ever drought in the Amazon this year.
Mark Parrington, senior scientist at the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, tells Down To Earth (DTE) that the "sudden increase (in average global temperature) seems to be a bit of a bigger jump than it has been in recent years." Anoop S Mahajan, senior scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Delhi, agrees and says, "There is a pretty good reason to believe that the sudden rise is because of the new regulations in the shipping industry. It might take us closer to a world, where global temperatures reach 1.5°C from the current 1.1°C (above preindustrial era)."
SO2 causes respiratory, cardiovascular and lung diseases, and can induce acid rain, which is a threat to crops, forests and aquatic species. Thirteen per cent of the world's SO₂ emissions come from shipping, states a 2022 paper in peer reviewed journal PNAS. IMO's move has reduced about 70 per cent of SO2 emissions from global shipping, which transports about 90 per cent of world trade, says the multilateral organisation.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 16, 2023-Ausgabe von Down To Earth.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 16, 2023-Ausgabe von Down To Earth.
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Vision 2030
Economic growth must take into account needs of energy transition, climate mitigation, with action aligned as per India's 2030 climate goals
FIX OUR FOOD
Chemical-dependent farming, lax labelling laws, rising anti-microbial resistance must top the agenda
BATTLE THE CAR BULGE
Clean, affordable, integrated and accessible public transport the only solution
CONSERVE NOW
Disregard for biodiversity conservation over the past two decades needs immediate redressal
SCRAP THE DUMP
Disincentivise garbage dumping, invest in behavioural change
PLAN THEM COOL
As urban India turns into a heat trap, the government must focus on improving cities' liveability
THINK LONG-TERM
India needs continued emphasis on flagship programmes, aligned to long-term planning that focusses on water security and circular economy in a climate-risked era
OVERHAUL OVERDUE
Hold polluting industries accountable for public health risks, environmental hazards, climate change; provide them support for green transition
LOOK BEYOND DUST
Reinvent National Clean Air Programme to focus on fine particulate matter and trans-boundary pollution
IT'S NOW OR NEVER
Clean energy sectors need demand-driven markets and domestic industries that can cater to the entire value chain