Lower VOC levels cause the system to react more slowly by lowering reactivity but will result in the same concentration in the end. Conversely, lowering NO x levels causes the reaction to build up more quickly but results in less ozone in the end. Therefore, Chameides believes that what we really must do is lower NOx emissions to control ozone pollution. Current policy, however, is mostly concerned with lowering VOC levels, which merely exports the ozone somewhere else and raises background levels of atmospheric ozone. We need to make connections between spatial scales and be concerned about regional and global impacts as well as local ones.
Empirical evidence indicates that ozone level is a function of NO x emitted.
This relationship exists even in remote areas and the increase in ozone globally is a result of NO x emissions. The observed increase in ozone levels highlights a series of specific concerns and suggests some potential surprises. In the area of climate, upper tropospheric ozone is an effective greenhouse gas, and aircraft NO x emissions could be enough to perturb upper tropospheric ozone. New aircraft may be more fuel-efficient, but emit more NO x . Some greenhouse gases are affected by the oxidative capacity of the troposphere.