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Nature Geoscience 2, 167–168 (1 March 2009) | doi:10.1038/ngeo456

Atmospheric science: Smoke above clouds

Lorraine A. Remer

Many of the processes that emit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, such as the burning of fossil fuels and agricultural waste, also emit smoke and particles. Like greenhouse gases, these particle pollutants — collectively known as aerosols — alter the radiative energy balance of the Earth.