Friday, April 11, 2008

CO2 trends

CO2 emissions are increasing in the last few years, not decreasing (or even holding at a steady rate of increase):

Source: Earth Policy Institute.
Global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the burning of fossil fuels stood at a record 8.38 gigatons of carbon (GtC) in 2006, 20 percent above the level in 2000. Emissions grew 3.1 percent a year between 2000 and 2006, more than twice the rate of growth during the 1990s. Carbon dioxide emissions have been growing steadily for 200 years, since fossil fuel burning began on a large scale at the start of the Industrial Revolution. But the growth in emissions is now accelerating despite unambiguous evidence that carbon dioxide is warming the planet and disrupting ecosystems around the globe.
We are not going to be cutting CO2 expenditures anytime soon. And it's folly to think we could ever cut them by 80% by 2050, as some governors and governments are pointing towards. It's just an arbitrary goal picked out of thin air -- they don't have any idea how to reach it, I'm sure.

2 comments:

JustaDog said...

Do you really believe what you post? Oh really?

Then:

If you own a gas mower get rid of it.

If you drive a vehicle that burns anything then you are contributing to the problem.

Do you ride a bus that uses combustion? STOP - it's contributing to the problem.

Do you smoke anything? STOP - it's contributing to the problem.

Do you have a garden? You better start one because buying processed food is contributing to the problem.

Do you always bring your own cloth bag to the store? You better because those plastic and paper bags contribute to the problem.

I could go on for volumes - but before you preach to the world you take care of your own contributions!

David Appell said...

justadog, of course all these things are contributing CO2 to the atmosphere. I am too, at a very large rate. But that's my point.... we just can't get back to 1950 levels of emissions.... we're all going to spend too much in emissions.... I'm not complaining. I'm just pointing it out. We're not going to get there.... I'm not willing to live in a cave for the sake of solving global warming. No one else is either. No one.