研究表明，減少污染不會使全球變暖更加嚴重

研究表明，減少污染不會使全球變暖更加嚴重

Fears that switching to cleaner sources of energy could speed up global warming by reducing pollution are unfounded, new research suggests.

一項新的研究表明，人們擔心轉(zhuǎn)向更清潔的能源會減少污染，從而加速全球變暖，這種擔心是沒有根據(jù)的。

Last year scientists said aerosols pollution the atmosphere might paradoxically be slowing down global warming by reflecting the sun's light and heat back into space. A study found cleaning them up might add 1C to temperatures, making it far less likely the world can stay beneath the targets agreed to in Paris in 2015.

去年，科學家們表示，懸浮微粒污染大氣，將太陽的光和熱反射回太空，可能會自相矛盾地減緩全球變暖。一項研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，清理這些溫室氣體可能會使氣溫升高1攝氏度，使世界保持在2015年巴黎達成的目標之下的可能性大大降低。

But the team behind new research published this week in Nature say they've resolved the paradox.

但本周發(fā)表在《自然》雜志上的一項新研究的負責人說，他們已經(jīng)解決了這個悖論。

"The fear that reducing air pollution could lead to a spike in global warming has been a lingering concern for climate scientists," said Dr Nicolas Bellouin of the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, who contributed to the new research.

聯(lián)合國政府間氣候變化專門委員會的Nicolas Bellouin博士說：“對減少空氣污染可能導致全球變暖的擔憂一直是氣候科學家們持續(xù)關注的問題，他對這項新的研究做出了貢獻。

"What if our efforts to clean up the air actually meant we make global warming worse?"

“如果我們凈化空氣的努力實際上意味著我們讓全球變暖變得更糟呢?”

Thankfully that doesn't appear to be the case.

謝天謝地，事實并非如此。

"Until now, it was assumed that thicker clouds form when water droplets condense around the particles in polluted air, delaying rainfall, and allowing clouds to reflect more sunlight back into space," said lead author Velle Toll of the University of Tartu in Estonia.

愛沙尼亞塔爾圖大學的維爾托爾是這項研究的第一作者，他說:“直到現(xiàn)在，人們還認為，當水滴在污染空氣中的微粒周圍凝結時，就會形成更厚的云，從而推遲降雨，讓云把更多的陽光反射回太空。”

"To test this, we studied satellite data from clouds near sources of pollution. In fact, there was little change in average water content across all the polluted clouds we found, showing that pollution makes little difference overall to many types of clouds. Some clouds got thicker, but other areas thinned out.

為了驗證這一點，我們研究了來自污染源附近云層的衛(wèi)星數(shù)據(jù)。事實上，我們發(fā)現(xiàn)，所有被污染的云的平均含水量幾乎沒有變化，這表明污染對許多類型的云的總體影響不大。一些云層變厚了，但其他地區(qū)變薄了。

"This reduces a big area of uncertainty for future forecasts of the climate. Our study provides more evidence that cutting emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollution is a win-win situation for the health of people's lungs and for preventing the worst impacts of climate change."

“這減少了未來氣候預測的很大不確定性。我們的研究提供了更多的證據(jù)，證明減少溫室氣體排放和空氣污染對人們的肺部健康和預防氣候變化的最壞影響是一個雙贏的局面。”

Dr Bellouin said even if clearing pollution does result in a small increase in temperatures, the benefits outweigh the costs.

即使清理污染確實會導致氣溫小幅上升，但好處大于代價。

"There is now one less excuse for us not to cut emissions of both air pollution and greenhouse gases, or we will continue to see temperature rises that put people and the natural world in danger.

“現(xiàn)在我們還有一個理由不減少空氣污染和溫室氣體排放，否則我們將繼續(xù)看到氣溫上升，使人們和自然世界處于危險之中。

"In any case, a small temperature rise resulting from cutting pollution is a price very much worth paying to prevent greater, long-term harm caused by greenhouse gases."

“無論如何，為防止溫室氣體造成更大的長期危害，減少污染導致的氣溫小幅上升是非常值得付出的代價。”

July was the world's hottest month on record. On Saturday Climate Change Minister James Shaw revealed the Government's strategy for doing its bit to curb emissions and restrict the damage.

七月是世界上有記錄以來最熱的月份。周六，氣候變化部長詹姆斯·肖(JamesShaw)透露了政府為控制排放和限制損害所采取的策略。