Learners

Greenhouse Gases Page 4

Particulates Cool the Climate… but at a Cost

Greenhouse gases contribute to the warming of our planet, but particles in the air called particulates actually help cool it. Unfortunately, particulates are hazardous to human health and the health of the rest of the biosphere.
Some cities have such bad air pollution, you can almost see the particles hanging in the air. The particulates reflect solar energy away from the planet. This keeps some of the heat away from Earth and helps to cool the Earth. While particles are added to the air by nature, more particulates are produced by anthropogenic (human-caused) sources. There are many ways that humans can minimize the amount of particles they emit into the air.

Particulates occur naturally. Extra particles are emitted (placed) into the air when a volcano erupts, a dust storm is formed, or when a forest fire rages. Even when an ocean wave crashes on shore, extra particles are added to the air.

Particulates are also created by people. Power plants as well as other industrial processes put many particles in the air. Our vehicles (cars, trucks, airplanes) add to the problem as they burn fossil fuels and put toxic chemicals into the air.

Particulates make our water and air unhealthy causing problems for our hearts and lungs. Researchers have figured out how to remove toxic stuff from fossil fuels before they’re burned. They’ve also figured out that we add can things to our gasoline to minimize the hazardous particles that are emitted.