Links of Conventional Air Pollution to Climate, Environmental Impacts, and Mitigation

Through shared generation processes and interaction in the atmosphere, tropospheric ozone, aerosols, and other air pollutants are inextricably linked to the problem of climate change. Aerosols and ozone affect the Earth's radiative balance directly, as well as indirectly through interactions with clouds and other climatic processes. Our work in this area focuses on evaluating and analyzing these linkages and in clarifying policy questions that hinge on the magnitude of ancillary benefits of greenhouse gas mitigation and climate benefits of urban air pollution control. To address these multiple, interacting concerns, we model the atmospheric chemistry of the urban environment, the economic implications of the joint production of urban pollutants and greenhouse gases, the radiative and climatic properties of pollutants, and the impact these multiple stressors have on ecosystems and on human health.

Key accomplishments and publications in this area of inquiry

Ongoing Projects and Funding

1. Climate Effect of Black Carbon Aerosol on Tropical Convective Clouds and Precipitation (NASA)
2. Integrated Assessment Multiple Greenhouse Gases, Climate Impacts, and Pollution (EPA)
3. The Interface of Infrastructures, Markets, and Natural Cycles—Innovative modeling and control mechanisms for managing electricity, water and air quality in Texas (NSF)
4. An Integrated Framework for Climate Change Analysis (DOE)
5. Developing an Improved Framework for Analysis of Global Warming (EPRI)
6. Quantifying Climate Feedbacks from Abrupt Changes in High-Latitude Trace-Gas Emissions (DOE)
7. Development of the MIT Integrated Global System Model (Industrial and Gift Support)
8. Application of the MIT IGSM to Policy Analysis (Industrial and Gift Support)