Reducing air pollution has triggered something even worse for the planet that scientists did not predict

By Eric Ralls – Earth.com

Scientists have determined that “marine cloud reflectivity,” caused by cleaner air, has dropped by roughly 2.8 percent per decade across the North Atlantic and Northeast Pacific.

Together, those regions span about one-seventh of the planet’s surface, making even small changes in brightness significant on a global scale.

In simple terms, fewer air particles produce dimmer clouds, which means less sunlight is reflected into space.

The shortwave energy that used to be reflected by clouds now reaches the sea surface. That, in turn, leads to ocean temperatures rising faster than ever before.