When fossil fuels are burned, a byproduct known as black carbon is produced, which contributes to air pollution. This pollutant is made up of minuscule particles and molecules that may both absorb and reflect sunlight. So, as black carbon behaves as a blanket around the Earth’s atmosphere and retains heat, it can have a warming effect on the atmosphere.

Black carbon is made up of tiny, light particles that are easily carried through the atmosphere and incorporated into clouds. Black carbon particles in clouds reflect incoming sunlight back into space, cooling the Earth’s surface, which has a significant impact on climate change. Additionally, because black carbon traps heat, temperatures in those areas are more likely to increase when such filthy clouds develop close to glaciers or ice sheets. As a result, one of the major causes of global warming continues to be carbon pollution.