The cascade of global trade to large climate forcing over the Tibetan Plateau glaciers.

ABSTRACT: Black carbon (BC) aerosols constitute unique and important anthropogenic climate forcers that potentially accelerate the retreat of glaciers over the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau (HTP). Here we show that a large amount of BC emissions produced in India and China-a region of BC emissions  to which the HTP is more vulnerable compared with other regions-are related to the consumption of goods and services in the USA and Europe through international trade. These processes lead to a virtual transport pathway of BC from distant regions to the HTP glaciers. From a consumption perspective, the contribution from India to the HTP glaciers shows a rapid increasing trend while the contributions from the USA, Europe, and China decreased over the last decade. International trade aggravates the BC pollu

SUBMITTER: Yi K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6650455 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature