The Latest Ozone Villain: Laughing Gas

Carbon dioxide you know, but what about perfluorocarbons?

(NEWSER) - With things set to really heat up next week at the Copenhagen climate summit, the Guardian runs down greenhouse gases you oughta know:

• Carbon dioxide (CO2): Industrialization and deforestation have produced high levels of this gas, which helps trap heat inside Earth’s atmosphere.
• Methane (CH4): Thirty times more dangerous than CO2, it’s mainly a byproduct of agriculture—think burping cows. But much less methane than carbon dioxide is produced.

Rich countries balk at paying poorer nations to stop hacking trees

(NEWSER) - The triumph of the Bali summit may be its plan to stop deforestation, but rich and poor nations are still clashing over details, the Washington Post reports. A dozen developing countries want incentives to stop tree-cutting, but some developed nations wince at paying them for actions not taken. "The problems tend to start when you get down to the small print," said a UN official. More»

Canada gov't says fines huge, no real environmental help

(NEWSER) - Countries and environmentalist groups around the world are slamming Canada for pulling out of the Kyoto climate treaty on Monday, reports the Guardian . "Preposterous" and "an excuse to shirk responsibility," was how the withdrawal was described by China, the world's largest carbon dioxide producer . The UN climate chief was more polite but just as unhappy with the move, saying, "I regret Canada's withdrawal and am surprised over its timing." Even Japan—which doesn't plan to sign the next phase of the Kyoto treaty—called Canada's withdrawal "disappointing." More»

Rising greenhouse gasses will worsen climate change, say scientists

(NEWSER) - Carbon dioxide emissions around their world jumped by the largest amount ever last year, increasing by half a billion tons, reports the New York Times . As a percentage, the 5.9% rise was the largest since 2003 and a sign that 2009's drop of 1.4% was an aberration cause by the worldwide recession. Scientists say they expect carbon dioxide output to continue climbing by some 3% a year for the rest of this decade, increasing the dangers of climate change from greenhouse gasses. More»

Sulfur pollution masked effect of CO2 emissions

(NEWSER) - The vast amounts of coal China burned during the 2000s may have actually slowed down climate change, according to a new study. Researchers believe the sulfur pollution caused by burning coal deflected the sun's rays, causing a temporary plateau in warming, the AP reports. But while sulfur drops out of the air quickly, carbon dioxide, another byproduct, remains for a long time—and carbon dioxide's warming effects are beginning to be visible again. Temperatures lurched upward in 2009 and 2010, the study finds. More»