Publication: Guardian

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

Synopsis: An analysis by atmospheric scientists and climate researchers in the US and Europe attempts to tally the varied, complex ways in which dust has affected global climate patterns, concluding that overall, it has worked to somewhat counteract the warming effects of greenhouse gasses. The study warns that current climate models fail to take into account the effect of atmospheric dust. 

UCLA News: “We’ve been predicting for a long time that we’re headed toward a bad place when it comes to greenhouse warming,” said Kok, who led the research. “What this research shows is that so far, we’ve had the emergency brake on… We could start to experience faster and faster warming because of this. And maybe we’re waking up to that reality too late.”

Read more at Guardian.