The creation of carbon dioxide “domes” by heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions over urban areas makes CO2 emissions a greater health risk for city-dwellers than people who live in rural areas, according to a new study. Increased concentrations of CO2 over city areas cause local temperatures to rise, which in turn increases levels of air pollution and ground-level ozone, said Mark Z. Jacobson, director of the Atmosphere/Energy Program at Stanford and author of the study published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology. In addition, the more stable air column over cities tends to slow the dispersal of pollutants. According to Jacobson, the existence of the CO2 domes above urban areas exposes a fundamental flaw in the cap-and-trade legislation passed last year by the U.S. House of Representatives, which allows carbon emitters to trade emissions allowances regardless of location. “Not all carbon dioxide emissions are equal,” Jacobson said. “As in real estate, location matters.” His study suggests that emitters of CO2 in urban areas should pay a higher price for their pollution than emitters in rural areas.
CO2 “Domes” Over Cities Increase Local Health Risks, Study Says
More From E360
-
ANALYSIS
Microplastics Are Filling the Skies. Will They Affect the Climate?
-
CONSERVATION
Silencing Science: How Indonesia Is Censoring Wildlife Research
-
Energy
In Europe’s Clean Energy Transition, Industry Turns to Heat Pumps
-
INTERVIEW
Amazon Under Fire: The Long Struggle Against Brazil’s Land Barons
-
WATER
After Comeback, Southern Iraq’s Marshes Are Now Drying Up
-
Biodiversity
Sacred Groves: How the Spiritual Connection Helps Protect Nature
-
Energy
For U.S. Companies, the Race for the New EV Battery Is On
-
INTERVIEW
Forest Equity: What Indigenous People Want from Carbon Credits
-
Policy
Which Wetlands to Protect? Supreme Court Will Soon Decide
-
Toxics
In Bolivia, Mercury Pollution Spreads Amid a Surge in Gold Mining
-
Biodiversity
The 30 Percent Goal: Is Bigger Always Better for Biodiversity?
-
CONSERVATION
Amid the Sprawl, a Long Island Prairie Makes a Quiet Comeback