研究表明，减少污染不会使全球变暖更加严重

研究表明，减少污染不会使全球变暖更加严重

Fears that switching to cleaner sources of energy could speed up global warming by reducing pollution are unfounded, new research suggests.

一项新的研究表明，人们担心转向更清洁的能源会减少污染，从而加速全球变暖，这种担心是没有根据的。

Last year scientists said aerosols pollution the atmosphere might paradoxically be slowing down global warming by reflecting the sun's light and heat back into space. A study found cleaning them up might add 1C to temperatures, making it far less likely the world can stay beneath the targets agreed to in Paris in 2015.

去年，科学家们表示，悬浮微粒污染大气，将太阳的光和热反射回太空，可能会自相矛盾地减缓全球变暖。一项研究发现，清理这些温室气体可能会使气温升高1摄氏度，使世界保持在2015年巴黎达成的目标之下的可能性大大降低。

But the team behind new research published this week in Nature say they've resolved the paradox.

但本周发表在《自然》杂志上的一项新研究的负责人说，他们已经解决了这个悖论。

"The fear that reducing air pollution could lead to a spike in global warming has been a lingering concern for climate scientists," said Dr Nicolas Bellouin of the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, who contributed to the new research.

联合国政府间气候变化专门委员会的Nicolas Bellouin博士说：“对减少空气污染可能导致全球变暖的担忧一直是气候科学家们持续关注的问题，他对这项新的研究做出了贡献。

"What if our efforts to clean up the air actually meant we make global warming worse?"

“如果我们净化空气的努力实际上意味着我们让全球变暖变得更糟呢?”

Thankfully that doesn't appear to be the case.

谢天谢地，事实并非如此。

"Until now, it was assumed that thicker clouds form when water droplets condense around the particles in polluted air, delaying rainfall, and allowing clouds to reflect more sunlight back into space," said lead author Velle Toll of the University of Tartu in Estonia.

爱沙尼亚塔尔图大学的维尔托尔是这项研究的第一作者，他说:“直到现在，人们还认为，当水滴在污染空气中的微粒周围凝结时，就会形成更厚的云，从而推迟降雨，让云把更多的阳光反射回太空。”

"To test this, we studied satellite data from clouds near sources of pollution. In fact, there was little change in average water content across all the polluted clouds we found, showing that pollution makes little difference overall to many types of clouds. Some clouds got thicker, but other areas thinned out.

为了验证这一点，我们研究了来自污染源附近云层的卫星数据。事实上，我们发现，所有被污染的云的平均含水量几乎没有变化，这表明污染对许多类型的云的总体影响不大。一些云层变厚了，但其他地区变薄了。

"This reduces a big area of uncertainty for future forecasts of the climate. Our study provides more evidence that cutting emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollution is a win-win situation for the health of people's lungs and for preventing the worst impacts of climate change."

“这减少了未来气候预测的很大不确定性。我们的研究提供了更多的证据，证明减少温室气体排放和空气污染对人们的肺部健康和预防气候变化的最坏影响是一个双赢的局面。”

Dr Bellouin said even if clearing pollution does result in a small increase in temperatures, the benefits outweigh the costs.

即使清理污染确实会导致气温小幅上升，但好处大于代价。

"There is now one less excuse for us not to cut emissions of both air pollution and greenhouse gases, or we will continue to see temperature rises that put people and the natural world in danger.

“现在我们还有一个理由不减少空气污染和温室气体排放，否则我们将继续看到气温上升，使人们和自然世界处于危险之中。

"In any case, a small temperature rise resulting from cutting pollution is a price very much worth paying to prevent greater, long-term harm caused by greenhouse gases."

“无论如何，为防止温室气体造成更大的长期危害，减少污染导致的气温小幅上升是非常值得付出的代价。”

July was the world's hottest month on record. On Saturday Climate Change Minister James Shaw revealed the Government's strategy for doing its bit to curb emissions and restrict the damage.

七月是世界上有记录以来最热的月份。周六，气候变化部长詹姆斯·肖(JamesShaw)透露了政府为控制排放和限制损害所采取的策略。