Study suggests new approach to buy time in battle against global warming

by Rich Bowden - Dec 2 2008, 22:29

Research by climate scientists has identified three more greenhouse gases that are contributing to warming the Arctic and surrounding ice sheets.

The pollutants, named in a study by the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program and presented at a UN climate conference overnight, are black carbon (soot), tropospheric ozone and methane. All three have the same warming effect as better known greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, yet have far shorter life spans, which makes experts believe concentrating on the reduction of the three gases would buy the world time as it tackles the cutting of carbon dioxide emissions.

The findings were presented to U.N. climate talks in Poland by Norway's chief climate negotiator, Hanne Bjurstrom. Scientists from the eight Arctic nations were in attendance during the talks.

"The research community has begun to identify those pollutants' contribution to the rapid rise in Arctic temperatures," Ms Bjurstrom said to the conference. "We need to begin to look more intensively at ways to cut these pollutants and slow the warming in the Arctic that may have impacts on global warming across the globe."

Scientists have found temperatures at the Arctic have increased by over twice the average across the last 100 years and suggest the world needs to act before irreparable damage is done to the planet's climate. Concentration on quickly reducing black carbon and ozone will give the world some valuable breathing space as it seeks to address rising carbon emissions.

Black carbon is produced mostly from older industrial plants, forest fires and small wood and coal stoves used by people for cooking and heating.

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