Climate change in black and white

摘要

An ideal fossil-fuel power-plant would produce power, carbon dioxide and nothing more. Less-than-ideal ones-not to mention other devices for the combustion of carbon, from diesel generators to brick kilns and stoves burning dung-also emit various gases and gunk. These often cause local environmental problems, damaging lungs, hurting crops and shortening lives. And some of the gunk, notably soot or "black carbon", can warm the planet, too.