The trail of clues that our planet might be heating faster than we realised
· World · BBC News
Scientists believe the planet is warming faster than previously estimated as a result of declining sulphur pollution. While carbon dioxide remains the primary driver of climate change, sulphur particles from burning fossil fuels historically reflected sunlight and provided a cooling effect. Clean-air policies, such as the US Acid Rain Program, have successfully reduced these emissions, inadvertently removing a natural buffer against rising temperatures. Researchers at ETH Zurich and other institutions have confirmed that the underlying rate of global warming is accelerating after accounting for natural fluctuations like El Niño. The Met Office projects that 2027 is very likely to surpass 2024 as the warmest year on record.
Why it matters
The acceleration of global warming due to the loss of cooling aerosols suggests that climate sensitivity to greenhouse gases may be higher than previously feared, potentially leading to more rapid environmental changes than models predicted.
Read the original report — BBC News
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