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Humanity and the Weather

Air Pollution

Are there any circumstances where air pollution could be beneficial?

Yes. In fact, dust storms and volcanic ash can be a means for nature to distribute soils across the surface of the planet to regions that might not otherwise get certain nutrients. For instance, the Amazon rain forest may be famous for its verdant plant life, but in actuality the soil beneath the dense canopies is of very poor quality. Dust blown across the ocean from Africa to South America may help fertilize the rain forests. Not only that, but such storms bring nutrients to plankton in the ocean, which form the basis for aquatic food chains.



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