Global warming: Cities, too, are carbon 'sinks' - The Times of India

Scientists on Tuesday offered a slender piece of good news about global warming, reporting that cities can be of surprising help in soaking up carbon dioxide (CO2), the principal greenhouse gas.

Around four percent of the world's land surface is defined as urbanised, a figure expected to surge as the planet's human population rises from seven billion this year to as much as 9.5 billion by mid-century. But unlike forests, urban areas are absent in most calculations of "sinks" where vegetation soaks up CO2 naturally thanks to photosynthesis. A new study, though, says the contribution can be significant.

Source: The Times of India