It shows that between Jan. 1 and March 12, concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, or NO2, fell drastically, especially over hard-hit northern Italy. Nitrogen dioxide is not one of the major greenhouse gases linked to climate change. The transportation sector produces more than 70 percent of all nitrogen dioxide emissions in Milan, according to a recent analysis by the European Commission’s Joint Research Center. While the ongoing crisis has drastically slowed emissions in China, Italy and potentially elsewhere, that has offered little cause for celebration. Carbon dioxide emissions in the country declined by over 30 percent between 2004 and 2018.

Source: Washington Post March 13, 2020 18:32 UTC