The Role of Air Pollution on Climate Change: Myths and Realities

Abstract

After industrialization with high growth in population and associated new lifestyles, air pollution levels have gone up steeply and became a major health hazard activity, which, in turn, doubled the pollution levels with the drug manufacturing industries and corporate hospitals. The major air pollution causing activities are industrialization, transportation, and agriculture. In addition, air pollution is created by burning of agriculture waste, domestic waste, wood for cooking, forest fires, etc. Air pollution is also modifying the climate in diverse ways. One important component is urban-heat-island effect in summer and in winter warming. To account urban warming effect, met network is well covered in urban areas. To account cooling effect in rural areas, met network is not well covered. Same is the case with the oceans/seas that cover two-thirds of the globe. Since 2000–2024 presented a steep rise in temperature which is the result of satellite measurements in place of surface based met stations. Furthermore, several cold related issues were not taken into account in the mean average temperature. Indian Minimum temperature presented 0.011°C/year during 1880–2020. However, maximum temperature presented a depression in the central part of temperature time series. Similar pattern with less intensive is seen in mean temperature. Reports suggested that global warming is making extreme downpours in Spain. It is reported that global warming made Spain’s rainfall about 12% heavier and doubled the likelihood. Reports suggest that Emissions for fertilizers occur not during their production, but during their use; soil treated with manure or compost fertilizer stores more carbon than soil treated with chemical fertilizers or no fertilizer; greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from organic farming measured as carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2 eq.) and amounted to 1603 kg CO2 eq., while the chemical fertilizers based conventional system was responsible for 1893 kg CO2 eq. If this is controlled that proportionately GHGs could be brought-down without any modification in technology and with modification with the technology, this percentage can reach as high as 50%.