In the News Now: World Bank President Cites Scripps Research in Call for Climate Change Action

World Bank Group President  cited the work of Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego Distinguished Professor of Climate and Atmospheric Sciences Veerabhadran Ramanathan in a June 28, 2013 opinion piece in the Washington Post. Kim referenced Ramanathan’s research that has found that in concert with carbon dioxide emission mitigation, controlling the emissions of so-called short-lived climate pollutants such as methane, black carbon (a major component of soot), ozone in the lower atmosphere, and hydrofluorocarbons can rapidly slow the pace of global warming. They are potent contributors to global warming but last in the atmosphere for periods of several days for black carbon to about 15 years in the case of HFCs. Kim also noted Ramanathan’s recent study that found that California diesel emissions laws remove the equivalent of 21 million metric tons of CO2 every year.

– Robert Monroe