Question

Which of the following best explains why air pollution that was once blamed for global cooling is now considered responsible for global warming?
a.
Pollution began reflecting sunlight and heat rather than absorbing it.
b.
Evidence of global warming became overwhelming.
c.
Scientists mistakenly thought pollution reflected sunlight and heat rather than absorbed it.
d.
Congress required scientists to assign a cause to global climate change.

Answer 1

b.

As more and better data accumulated, the scientific evidence showed that greenhouse gases from pollution (especially CO2) are causing a net warming effect that outweighs any short-term cooling from reflective aerosols, so the consensus shifted.