The aerosols conundrum: Research shows that aerosols not only cool, but also heat the planet
Friday, July 9, 2010 - 11:42
in Earth & Climate
Just how much warmer Earth will become as a result of greenhouse-gas emissions - and how much it has warmed since preindustrial times - is much debated. In a 2007 report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, an agency formed by the world`s largest governments to assess climate change, said that the planet`s average surface temperature will rise by between 2 and 11.5 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100, with a best estimate at between 3.2 to 7.2 degrees F. However, the IPCC`s computer models have a record of overestimating warming: If the IPCC models were right, the planet should now be hotter than it is.