Global Dimming

It seems that certain pollutants from power plants, vehicles, fires, etc., increase the reflectivity of the atmosphere both directly and indirectly (by increasing water droplets in clouds, making them more reflective), offsetting the gradual GlobalWarming due to the release of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide.

Hence, when mankind fails to restrict carbon dioxide release adequately, it will need to increase other pollution to compensate - look forward to an unhealthy future!

One reason GlobalWarming has only just become apparent is that throughout the last century we humans put so much muck in the air we actually reduced the amount of sunlight hitting the earth by about 10-37% - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_dimming for details. Since we "cleaned up" our act, this is reversing and the usual amount of sunlight is getting through.

• Really? 10 - 37%? Couldn't come up with a more accurate, possibly even scientific number? Poppycock!

Well, not necessarily usual - there's some evidence solar output has increased a little during this period as well. Which doesn't help.