Hi everyone. Thanks for offering me the opportunity to talk about black carbon.
Black carbon, also known as soot, consists of tiny pieces of black dust. It mainly comes from forest fires and the burning of fossil fuels and crop waste. We now know that it plays a much bigger role in global warming than previously thought.
Let me first talk more about the burning of crop waste. Do you know why farmers do that? Well, they believe that burning is the best way to clear land and prepare it for new crops. However, these huge fires are the world’s biggest source of soot. In addition, burning crop waste is bad for the soil because it kills the useful living things in it.
But how long does black carbon stay in the atmosphere? Actually, it only lasts for a few days or weeks after it is released. However, its effect on the earth’s temperature is more powerful than that of carbon dioxide. Black carbon traps more sunlight and sends it back into the air as heat. In addition, when black carbon falls onto ice or snow, it warms the surface and increases the speed of melting.
So what do you think we should do to…