What exactly is the meaning of this comment from a climate change study published in Nature?

Question

The comment is this: "These findings might seem to contradict the general notion of aerosol particles as cooling agents in the global climate system. " Conservatives have been quoting this statement by way of suggesting blame for global warming be transferred to dung burning Asia from industrial corporate America. But the quote speaks of the "cooling" of aerosol, not any warming. Is that in effect the same or is this quote being misused? Here's a link and the sentence is in the second to last paragraph: http://www.npg.nature.com/nature/journal/v448/n7153/full/448541a.html

Answer 1

There are two effects that are caused by aerosols.

1. Cooling. If the particles are high in number and produce a reflection of sunlight, they have a cooling effect. Strangely enough, this means that Global Warming is actually worse than is noted BECAUSE of this cooling effect was ignored until scientists in Israel noted that there was a dimming effect in sunlight. The cooling effect reduced the warming effect of Global Warming gases. Incidentally, and somewhat irrelevant, "Nuclear Winter" was the name given to the effect of Nuclear War in which bombs put gigatons of dust in the air.

2. The Heating from the heat trapping effect. Off the Indian Ocean it was noted that Industrial smoke produces heating of the air East of India. Also, the smoke haze from Industry in China is producing a more rapid melting of the glaciers in the Himalayas, and 1.5 BILLION people depend on these glaciers for their drinking water. Bangladesh is currently partially innundated due to unusual flooding.
Some people believe that this part of the world is our "canary" and when they begin to die by tens of thousands we will know Global Warming is here. Most people would rather wait until it happens, just in case it doesn't.
The poor people in that part of the world have no idea of what we are reading and writing about.
Watch the movie "The 11th Hour", it is about Global Warming and is being released as a follow-up to "An Inconvenient Truth" by Al Gore. A more inconvenient truth: This words are, or will, be read in India and China and, later, in Bangladesh
--.in their own languages(?) or English.

Answer 2

Aerosols cool by limiting the amount of the Sun's rays hitting the lower atmosphere and Earth's surface. What this study shows is that these aerosols seem to hold in thermal energy as well as greenhouse gases. The big question is WHERE the aerosols are in order to create a given effect.

They suggest waiting until the Glory mission is up and running before making any conclusion as to what the net affect on climate will be.

Answer 3

It proposes that aerosols (small liquid particles in gaseous suspension) play a role similar to solid particles. This is to block some of the incoming sunlight, with the general effect of both being cooling. It says this may be mediating the effects of Global Warming as they occur. It also says although the data supports this idea, it is not as well established as the role of solid particles.

Answer 4

Let's see-it's a 'D*mn if we do, D*mn if we don't' thing...as far as aerosol goes. In the short-term, it helps cooling by reflecting the sun's rays but, overall, it adds polutants to the air and causes warming by trapping polutant particles in our air.