“I believe it is fully possible for us to tackle climate change.”
Markku Kulmala
Svalbard, and Sweden has stations that satisfy the criteria but have not yet joined the network.” Forests are not the only ecosystems that are important for atmospheric research. In China, measurements are carried out in metropolises. Nanjing is home to a measurement station, jointly es- tablished with a local university, which studies air quality. Another urban measurement station is located in Beijing. Both stations are equipped with measurement devices similar to those used at the Hyytiälä station in Finland. Kulmala says China is important from the overall per- spective. “In China, you can detect atmospheric chemical reac- tions that are rarely found elsewhere. The diverse data that we obtain on the country’s combination of pollutants gives us an important overall insight into what is going on in the atmosphere.” The researchers in Kulmala’s research group have found that at least in China, the bulk of air pollutants in large cities are not direct emissions. Instead, 90 per cent of the particulates are generated in the atmosphere. DATA FOR WIDER USE It is a comfort to hear the researcher say he is definitely more optimistic than pessimistic about the future. “I believe it is fully possible for us to tackle climate change,” he says, pointing to recent developments. “Various parties in society are now taking climate change seriously. Awareness of the importance of biodiversity and the adequacy of food and potable water are at a very dif- ferent level now compared to a few decades ago. But we still have work to do.” Above all, he believes we need cooperation. No one can solve climate change on their own; a diverse, holistic ap- proach is required. As an example, he mentions the wider utilisation of measurements from the SMEAR stations. The data are al- ready used to answer many questions related to the envi- ronment, forestry and climate change. But the enormous volume of data offers opportunities for much more. “Our large data bank could benefit companies. Data could be used to find answers to many questions in the forest industry, for example. The quality of data is such that it can also be used to generate new innovations.” •
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