
Reducing harmful air pollution has led to a surprising effect — more hurricanes in the North Atlantic
CNN
A new study found that reducing aerosol air pollution in North America and Europe has led to an increase in tropical storm activity in the Atlantic.
A new study published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances found that over the past four decades, a 50% decrease in aerosols — tiny particles of air pollution — over North America and Europe led to a 33% increase in the number of tropical cyclones in the North Atlantic.
On the other side of the world, the study found that a 40% increase in aerosol pollution in China and India over the same time period sparked a 14% decline in the number of tropical cyclones in the western North Pacific. Air pollution surged significantly in China and India during that time due to the countries' economic and industrial growth.