大家都知道深色外表会因吸光而变暖，而白色外表会因反光而温度较低。

当一外表层的面积为大约1500万平方公里时，它是吸收还是反射阳光会对四周环境产生重大的影响。

黑色烟尘——全球燃烧碳基燃料所释放的煤烟——正纷纷落在北冰洋（Arctic Ocean），覆盖海冰，吸收热量，加速冰雪融化。这是气候变化给北极带来更快速影响的原因之一。

环北冰洋的八个国家希望解决黑色烟尘问题。今年四月，北极理事会（Arctic Council ）达成了“加强黑碳和甲烷减排行动框架”（Framework for Action on Enhanced Black Carbon and Methane Emissions）。其目标包括：

• 汇编各国黑碳和甲烷排放清单;
• 作出各国国内减排报告;
• 就减少这些危险污染物加强国际合作。

美国国务卿约翰·克里（John Kerry）在美国担任理事会主席的两年任期开始之际作出保证，将敦促北极理事会成员国采取这些行动。

非政府组织“地球正义”（Earthjustice）的律师艾丽卡•罗森塔尔（Erika Rosenthal）曾代表北极地区居民参与起草碳框架。她在一篇博客文章中说，理事会通过的行动框架是“一个令人激动的机会，可以帮助该地区实现真正的减排，并为北极地区减缓气候变化的集体行动创下先例”。

2012年，随着“气候和清洁空气联盟”（Climate and Clean Air）的成立，国际社会启动了减少这些短期污染物的行动。该联盟设在联合国环境规划署（U.N. Environment Programme），有100个成员，分别代表积极参与各种减少短期污染物的国家、国际组织和私营行业。

Say “no” to soot

Everybody knows dark surfaces absorb light and grow warmer, while white surfaces reflect light and stay cooler.

When a surface is about 15 million square kilometers, whether it absorbs or reflects the sun’s light can have a major effect on the surrounding environment.

Black soot — released by the burning of carbon-based fuels worldwide — is falling on the Arctic Ocean, covering sea ice, absorbing heat and accelerating melting. It’s one reason the effects of climate change are occurring more rapidly in the Arctic.

The eight nations that border the Arctic Ocean want to address this soot problem. In April, the Arctic Council agreed to a Framework for Action on Enhanced Black Carbon and Methane Emissions. Its goals include:

• Compilation of national inventories for black carbon and methane emissions.
• National reporting on domestic mitigation efforts.
• Greater international cooperation on reducing these dangerous pollutants.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerrypledged to encourage Arctic Council members to take these steps as he began a two-year term as chairman of the panel.

Erika Rosenthal, an attorney with the nongovernmental organization Earthjustice, was involved in drafting the framework on carbon, representing the interests of Arctic peoples. In a blog post, she called the council’s adoption of the framework “an exciting opportunity to help the region deliver real emissions reductions and set a precedent on collective Arctic action on climate mitigation.”

International action to reduce these short-lived pollutants started in 2012, with the formation of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition. The organization, based in the U.N. Environment Programme, has 100 members representing countries, international organizations and private industry engaged in a wide range of activities to reduce short-lived pollutants.