Improved Attribution of Climate Forcing to Emissions

Abstract

All Together Now Deciding how to change emissions of polluting gases that affect climate through their radiative forcing properties requires that the quantitative impact of these emissions be understood. Most past calculations of this type have considered only the radiative forcing of the specific emission and its atmospheric lifetime. Shindell et al. (p. 716 ; see the Perspectives by Arneth et al. and by Parrish and Zhu ) use sophisticated atmospheric chemical and climate modeling to determine how gas-aerosol interactions affect the radiative properties of the atmosphere, finding significant departures from the standard method for emissions of methane, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides. These findings should help to optimize strategies for mitigating global warming by reducing anthropogenic emissions.