CLIMATE ONE: Super Pollutants: The Hidden Half of Global Warming

Carbon dioxide is a big deal. It’s responsible for more than half of global heating. But what about the other half? There’s actually good news here: Nearly half of the temperature increases driving climate disasters come from super pollutants that don’t stay in the atmosphere for nearly as long as carbon dioxide. Methane, for example, is about 80 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide over 20 years. But it only stays in the atmosphere for a fraction of the time. So if we can put the brakes on methane and other super pollutants, we can put the brakes on warming. 

Guests:

Ilissa Ocko, Senior Climate Scientist, Spark Climate Solutions 

David Kanter, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies, New York University 

Millie Chu Baird, Vice President, Office of the Chief Scientist, Environmental Defense Fund 

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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