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Climate Impacts
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On the causal link between carbon dioxide and air pollution mortality
- Mark Z. Jacobson,
- Original article citation: Geophys. Res. Lett. 35, (2008).
- Categories: Climate Impacts and Chemistry
- Recommended by: Anna Barnett on 02/28/2008 04:00PM GMT
- Reasons for recommending:
Despite the manifold harm it does as a greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide is not considered a classic air pollutant because it doesn't affect human respiration directly. Noting that increasing levels of CO2 cause temperature and water vapor content to rise, Jacobson uses photochemistry to determine that these factors independently feed back to increase ground-level ozone concentrations. This can harm lung function and irritate the respiratory system. He calculates that this could cause 22,000 excess deaths worldwide each year.
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