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Do space launches warm or cool the surface temperature (admittedly, for a little bit)? This BBC article presents it as an emerging climate problem but also says

If the amount of black carbon expelled into the atmosphere reach 30 gigagrams a year, or even 100, then there will be some cooling of the surface of the planet under this black carbon umbrella.

So what's the whole debate all about then? Isn't it a good thing that it counteracts the warming effect to some degree?

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  • $\begingroup$ Solid carbon in the atmosphere is absorving radiation, so it is reducing the amount of radiation reaching to the ground and, reducing (always in a negligible amount) greenhouse effect, that it is produced by some other substances (as cardon dioxide, methane...). Space launches emits different substances depending on the rocket propellant used: liquid gives as result water, and solids, depends on, usually, small amount of metallic elements plus carbon dioxide or monoxide. I didn´t see that link, but it seems that they are mixing concepts.link $\endgroup$
    – David García Bodego
    Aug 18, 2022 at 4:39

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