New shipping regulations set limits on sulfur in maritime fuel, reducing harmful pollution but inadvertently ceasing a cooling effect on Earth’s climate
Luis Acosta/AFP via Getty ImagesEfforts to cut air pollution on the high seas may have led to an unintended side effect — speeding up global warming.The authors looked at environmental regulations, introduced in 2020 by the International Maritime Organization, that sought to reduce the amount of sulfur pumped out by ships worldwide.. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
On its face, the concept may sound counterintuitive. Pollution regulations are intended to protect the planet and safeguard human health. So how could they be nudging global temperatures skyward? The 2020 IMO regulations set new limits for the sulfur content in ships’ fuel in an effort to reduce harmful air pollution. But in doing so they also removed a powerful cloud-seeding element from the atmosphere. So with fewer clouds reflecting sunlight away from the Earth, global temperatures can rise even faster.
It’s not the first study to raise the alarm. Other research groups have suggested the 2020 regulations have had a powerful effect on cloud cover, especially in parts of the world with heavy ship traffic. These reductions could translate into major gains in global heat.
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