Publication: Gizmodo

UCLA Expert: Jasper Kok: Associate Professor, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences;  Member, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability

Synopsis: Earth’s atmosphere has gotten dustier since the pre-industrial age. And all those additional particles have likely been subtly counteracting some of the effects of climate change — cooling the planet a little bit, according to a review study published this January. 

UCLA News: “We want climate projections to be as accurate as possible, and this dust increase could have masked up to 8% of the greenhouse warming,” lead study researcher Kok said. “This is of tremendous importance because better predictions can inform better decisions of how to mitigate or adapt to climate change.”

Read more at Gizmodo.