Yesterday, an extremely interesting TV program introduced the concept of “Global Dimming.”

We all are familiar by now, and swear by it, that we are in the midst of a  “Global Warming” phenomenon. We know that this is caused by fossil CO2, and some other gases, that accumulate in the atmosphere. These gases impact global climate in an unseen way. They are not smog causing as such. Their direct effect is not seen to the naked eye.

But there is a second effect - this one has to do with carbon particulates and as well some other - more active - gases - that originate also from the burning of these fossil fuels. these gases are the sulphur and nitrogen compounds.
So, these other particles and gases do two things - they can nucleate small droplets of water and these droplets, together with the carbon particles, create a second effect - they block the sun rays that try to reach us. So, we end up having two effects - the heat that did reach us has a much harder time getting to us, but some of the sun rays that would have reached us - do not reach us. The sum total effect is that we have Global Warming, but also a “Global Dimming” effect. THE BEIJING OLYMPICS SHOW US BOTH EFFECTS - FOR US ALL TO SEE!

The TV program told us of an Israeli scientist, Jerry Stanhill who back in the 1950s mapped out the insolation in Israel for the purpose of planning the water distribution for Israel’s agriculture. Others measured water evaporation.

For some reason, in the 1990s, the same Jerry Stanhill, 40 years older, repeated his study and found out that there was an average  drop in 22% in the amount of solar radiation hitting Israel. Reading of his study, a lady scientist in the German Alps, looked at the sun reaching her area, and got similar results. Others found that there was a parallel DECREASE in evaporation. The evaporation studies, done all over the world were then reviewed in Australia and in the Maldives Islands, and confirmed. Of special interest were the studies by a scientist called Ramanathan, who looked at two islands in the Maldives - at the extreme ends of this chain of islands - and found that the more polluted island in the north end had much less sun and less evaporation then the southern-end island that gets cleaner Antarctic air and has more sunlight.

So, we do not want to rain on China’s parade. But, as environmentalists, we do not see only the glitter.

Seven years in the making, billions of dollars spent, great buildings, real terrific architecture, millions of happy people - and we are happy for China’s progress. China has indeed lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty - but in this Year of the Rat - we also see the Dragon of Smog. Is this pollution a must that comes with progress? Can, and will, the Chinese, and ourselves learn from these SMOG HIGHLIGHTS of an otherwise happy event? With Bush, Sarkozy, Putin, Fukuda and some other Heads of State in town to watch the opening - will their eyes also see what there is for all to see - THE SMOG? Will they pull together and say - let us do something about this so that there will be light from the sun, and no global warming as well? Can they get themselves to praise those aspects of the games and of the architecture for the games, that stressed green energy? Will they speak up and say - if we want these solar panels, and the rest of solar technology to be effective - we must also think of what the enhanced fossil fuels born smog does by sabotaging these efforts.