The Climate Question What can we do to reduce black carbon?
Feb 15, 2026
Tulsi Rauniyar, Nepal field reporter covering glacier and community impacts; Zerin Osho, director focused on short-lived climate pollutants. They unpack where black carbon comes from and how it darkens ice and harms health. They describe on-the-ground solutions like cleaner cookstoves, fuel switching and low-emission technologies. The conversation highlights policy gaps and practical steps for cutting soot.
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Cutting Black Carbon Boosts Climate Goals
- Reducing black carbon to near zero could cut global warming by about 0.5°C.
- Zerin Osho frames this as a large, fast climate gain beyond CO2 reductions.
Cooking With Wood In Adeshwari
- Tulsi Rauniyar visited Adeshwari and saw homes made of mud, hay and wood where people cook over open fires.
- A local woman, Tanshi Nagar Kodi, said she uses wood daily and didn't perceive health effects yet.
Huge Health And Economic Toll
- Black carbon causes severe health and economic harms including cardiovascular effects and fetal exposure.
- Zerin Osho cites 1.5 billion lost workdays and $8.1 trillion annual health costs globally.