Air pollution from ships will likely slow rising Arctic temperatures, researchers say

As more ships travel through the Arctic, their exhaust can be expected to lead to the formation of clouds that will slow temperature increases.

Arctic shipping is one of the paradoxes of global warming. Rising temperatures tied to increased carbon pollution from things like transportation have resulted in less sea ice. That, in turn, is increasingly making it possible to sail on routes between Asia and destinations in North America and Europe that, in some cases, are 40 percent shorter than conventional routes through the Suez and Panama canals.