Heat waves over Pacific Ocean: Unintended consequence of China's clean air efforts

Have you ever heard someone say that China controls global warming?

This may be the case as a study has revealed that the situation was caused inadvertently.

Scientists at a university in China have made a surprising discovery. They found that China's efforts to reduce air pollution have accidentally led to an increase in heat waves over the Pacific Ocean.

From 2010 to 2020, China successfully reduced aerosol emissions, leading to a rise in temperatures over the northeast Pacific, causing "heat blobs" that have devastating effects on marine life and the environment.

The team of researchers noticed that temperatures had warmed up to 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit from the Bering Strait and travelling 1,000 miles to the Gulf of Alaska, causing fish to die off, toxic algae to bloom, and whales to go missing. 

When China reduced air pollution, it had an unexpected effect. The reduction allowed more sunlight to reach the Earth, causing temperatures to rise. This led to hotter summers and milder winters. The change in weather patterns also caused weaker winds, which normally cool the ocean. As a result, the Pacific Ocean got even hotter.

This had severe consequences, including record-breaking heatwaves in China and a severe drought in California from 2013 to 2016. The drought cost billions of dollars and killed over 100 million trees.

Reducing air pollution is important to prevent premature deaths and respiratory diseases. However, this study shows that governments need to think carefully about how their policies affect climate change. 

The researchers have called upon China to reconsider its ban on aerosol emissions. According to them, the ban can further spark even higher temperatures.