"Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton Thursday announced a new global initiative to reduce short-lived climate pollutants. Working together as the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, Bangladesh, Canada, Ghana, Mexico, Sweden, and the United States will conduct what Secretary Clinton described as 'a targeted, practical, and highly energetic global campaign to spread solutions to the short-lived pollutants worldwide.' The initiative targets three pollutants that together account for more than one-third of current global warming - black carbon, or soot; methane; and hydrofluorocarbons, which are gases used in air conditioning, refrigeration, solvents, foam blowing agents and aerosols."

"These pollutants remain in the atmosphere for a few days to a few years after they are emitted. By comparison, carbon dioxide, the most prevalent greenhouse gas, remains in the atmosphere for roughly 100 years."

Environment News Service had the story February 17, 2012. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"Methane, Soot Are Targets Of New U.S. Climate Initiative" (The Two-Way/NPR) [3]

"U.S. Leads Low-Cost Bid To Curb Global Warming Pollutants" (Reuters) [4]