Green Zone

Global dimming

Global dimming is the gradual reduction in the amount of global direct irradiance at the Earth’s surface. Global dimming effect varies by location, but worldwide it has been estimated to be of the order of a 4% reduction over the three decades from 1960–1990.
Global dimming is a result of industrial pollution that produced sunlight-blocking aerosols. Because of the rapid rate of industrialization of China, India, and other Asian countries in the last few decades, there is still considerable global dimming today. Aerosols and other particulates absorb solar energy and reflect sunlight back into space rather than falling in to earth. The pollutants can also become nuclei for cloud droplets. Water droplets in clouds coalesce around the particles. Increased pollution causes more particulates and thereby creates clouds consisting of a greater number of smaller droplets (that is, the same amount of water is spread over more droplets). continue reading…