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In the shadow of the corona pandemic, the level of carbon dioxide from greenhouse gases continues to rise in the atmosphere, despite downtimes and reduced demand for fossil fuels.
On May 1, the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii reported the highest daily average in human history: 418.03 ppm. For the past 800,000 years until industrialization, the carbon dioxide content has been around 280 ppm.
The reduced use of fossil fuels due to the pandemic, recently reported by the International Energy Organization (IEA), is too small to give any indication in the measurements.
Örjan Gustafsson He is a professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences at Stockholm University and explains that the missing effect is related to the fact that carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere for hundreds of years after its release, the so-called residence time.
– We still emit carbon dioxide from fossil combustion and cement production, a little lower than if it hadn’t been covid-19, but since the residence time is so long, levels are increasing even now, he says. .
Supervised clean air
On social media, images have been circulating showing a crown pandemic before and after India and China, among others. The difference in air cleanliness is significant, but not related to carbon dioxide levels.
– Carbon dioxide is a transparent gas, while what you see in the images with air pollution is mainly particles. It has to do with the differences in residence times in the atmosphere for these different components, says Örjan Gustafsson.
Soot particles or carbon combustion particles remain in the air for a week. Then they sink or wash out of the atmosphere with rain. It has a direct effect on the air around us and is the explanation for the suddenly clear air in parts of the world where smog is dense.
Cooling effect
Evidence of the image of cleaner air has been seen by many as something to be enjoyed in the midst of all the misery. But Örjan Gustafsson explains that the pollutants we release in the form of air-blocking particles have a cooling effect on the climate.
– When the air is cleaner it means that we have more global warming. Now we can experience what we have gained through carbon dioxide emissions, “he says.
Rapidly bending curves for global warming is, with or without a pandemic, very important to global public health. But according to Örjan Gustafsson, this must be done in a different and more sustainable way. But something positive that the crown pandemic shows is that the global community can act unanimously against the main common threats.
– there is hope. Air pollution claims seven million lives each year. What can we do together for that? He is an interesting thinker, says Örjan Gustafsson.
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