What is Global Dimming?

We all have studied about global warming.
As you know global warming is the heating up of the earths atmosphere due to a rise in temperature.

What is the difference between Global Dimming and Global Warming?

Global dimming is the opposite of Global warming. It is the reduction in heat or the reduction in the suns rays reaching the earth because of pollution in the atmosphere.

How is it caused?

1. Burning of fossil fuels do not only lead to the production of green house gases but also produce some pollutants and by products like sulphur dioxide , soot and ash.
2. These by products are responsible for changing the properties of clouds by increasing the amount of droplets in the cloud, thus increasing the reflective property of that cloud. How is it caused?
3. As the reflective property of the clouds increase, they send back the rays of the sun into space rather than letting them reach the surface of the earth, thus reducing the heat waves received by the earth from the sun.
4. It is also caused by dust and aerosols present in pollution which have the property of abosrbing and reflecting the suns radiation.

What are the effects of Global dimming?

• Global dimming reduces the temperature of the earths atmosphere, which in turn reduces the temperature of the earths oceans. This cooling of the earths oceans causes very low rainfall, which leads to droughts.
• This has been the cause of the deaths of many people and things in the past, including vegetation, wildlife and other nature, as you know water is the most important element for survival of life.
• The pollutants and by- products which cause global dimming also leads to thick fog , acid rain and pollution , causing various respiratory diseases.
• Global dimming also covers the drastic effects of global warming.
• In other words you can say that the true powers of global warming are being hidden because of Global dimming.
• The power of global warming is being underestimated.
• Scientists are predicting that the earths temperature will increase by 5 degrees in the future.
• If global dimming did not occur this increase would be even more , which would have deadly consequences.

Issues of Global Dimming

1. If efforts are made to reduce global dimming, it would lead to large scale global warming.
2. Even though the emission of global dimming causing pollutants is reduced, green house gases are still present in abundance in the atmosphere.
3. Thus global warming will further increase.

Possible Solution to Global Dimming

• The root and most basic causes of global dimming and global warming should be identified and efforts should be made so that they are dealt with together.
• Efforts should not be extreme, concentrating on only one issue. People and countries should work toward the reduction of pollutants as well as green house gases in the atmosphere simultaneously.