A Scary Thought

I was just watching a show on PBS that used to be a favorite of mine as a kid: NOVA. It's always fascinating and highly informative. But on this occasion, it also served the (no doubt intended) purpose of scaring the daylights out of me.

Global dimming is the gradual reduction in the amount of global direct irradiance at the Earth's surface that was observed for several decades after the start of systematic measurements in 1950s. It is thought to have been caused by an increase in particulates such as sulfur aerosols in the atmosphere due to human action. The effect varied by location, but worldwide it was of the order of a 4% reduction over the three decades from 1960–1990. The trend reversed during the past decade. Global dimming has interfered with the hydrological cycle by reducing evaporation and may have caused droughts in some areas. Global dimming also creates a cooling effect that may have partially masked the effect of greenhouse gases on global warming.
From Wikipedia

Pretty scary stuff, huh? I'm no climatologist, but the mere thought that one of the very things we are trying to eliminate (air pollution) may be shielding us from the full brunt of global warming is a pretty sobering thought. As homeowners go, I would say we're on the good side; we recycle everything, compost our garbage, turns the lights off, and keep the thermostat down. But ultimately it will take all of us making a concerted effort to effect a change.

I challenge everyone who reads this entry to visit the site below. Judge for yourself just what the situation is. I don't want this to turn into a free-for-all, but I'd be curious to know people's thoughts on the matter:
Link to the show's website