Black carbon a major air pollution culprit

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) News Centre published a news release on Apr. 5, 2013 titled: “World Health Day: Climate and Clean Air Coalition Targets Indoor and Outdoor Air Pollution.”

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I hadn’t a clue how troublesome indoor air pollution is. More on indoor pollution in a bit.

Not discussed in yesterday’s post is what UNEP refers to as short-lived climate pollutants (SLCP).

First, the Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants or Coalition or CCAC for short, has targeted SLCP “as major culprits in the damage to health, as well as crop loss and climate change, caused by air pollution.

“SLCPs that are particularly harmful to human health are released through sources ranging from diesel engine exhaust, to smoke and soot from inefficient cook stoves and traditional brick production, to leakage and flaring from oil and natural gas production, to emissions from solid waste disposal.”

So, it isn’t too difficult to understand why these pollutants would be targeted.

Getting back to indoor pollution, what is in it and why is it so problematic?

The UNEP maintains, “A major source of indoor air pollution is smoke from cook stoves, which emits carbon monoxide and other pollutants at levels up to 100 times higher than the recommended limits set by [the World Health Organization]. The government of Bangladesh, a CCAC founding partner, recently announced a major initiative to increase the distribution of clean cook stoves in the country.”

And now turning attention once again to outdoor air pollution, black carbon is also in the spotlight.

Globally, 19 percent of emissions coming from the transportation sector is black carbon, estimates the UNEP, a relatively large percentage of which is exhausted from the engines of diesel vehicles. Efforts to reduce engine and heavy-duty vehicle black carbon emissions, is receiving particularly strong Coalition attention, according to the UNEP.

“The CCAC is also working with city governments and stakeholders to implement so-called City Action Plans to reduce diesel emissions in urban areas.”

For more on this, see: “World Health Day: Climate and Clean Air Coalition Targets Indoor and Outdoor Air Pollution.”

– Alan Kandel