Scientists have found which cities contribute most to the greenhouse effect

To determine the level of impact of large cities on the planet’s ecosystem, scientists use the term “carbon footprint”. This concept is used to denote the amount of greenhouse gases that are produced in the city as a result of the functioning of industrial enterprises and the movement of vehicles. Based on the results of annual data, ratings of the most polluted cities on the planet are compiled in terms of their contribution to enhancing the greenhouse effect on the planet.

According to a recent study, Seoul, the capital of South Korea, or rather, the Seoul-Incheon metropolitan area with a population of more than 23 million people, which produces more than 270 megatons of carbon dioxide, came first. In second place with almost the same indicators is Chinese Guangzhou, and American New York closes the top three, which emits 230 megatons of carbon dioxide into the planet’s atmosphere.

Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Shanghai, Singapore, Chicago, the Tokyo-Yokohama and Riyadh metropolitan area, with 118 megatons in 10th place, are also among the top ten cities leading in greenhouse gas pollution. As you can see, the main suppliers of greenhouse gases to the planet’s atmosphere are located in Southeast Asia and the United States. The leading European polluting cities were Moscow and London, ranked 15th and 16th, respectively. St. Petersburg took 79th place.

It should be borne in mind that this rating is based on the level of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere and does not take into account other air pollutants. In other words: the largest "carbon footprint" is not at all synonymous with the dirtiest city on the planet. There are other ratings based on the number of suspended particles in the atmosphere of cities or on the level of toxicity of emissions.

Watch the video: How Do Greenhouse Gases Actually Work? (May 2024).