The Global Carbon Project (GPC) released its Climate Trends 2007 update, and there’s some sobering news within the latest update.
- The concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere was 383 parts per million (ppm) in 2007, 37% over pre-industrial revolution concentrations (280 ppm), higher than any concentration over the last 650,000 years, and “probably” higher than any concentration in the last 20 million years.
- Actual emissions of CO2 over the period of 2000-2007 are higher than the highest (worst-case) IPCC emissions scenario.
- Growth in emissions from cement and coal power plants in developing nations (mostly India and China) now account for more than 50% of all CO2 emissions and a related stagnation in carbon intensity (amount of GDP per unit of carbon).
- The amount of CO2 extracted from the air by natural carbon sinks is rising, but slower than CO2 emissions. In addition, natural carbon sinks have lost efficiency over the last 50 years.
- The GPC concludes that all of the above combine to produce stronger CO2-driven climate forcing, and sooner than the IPCC estimates.
2 comments
Comments feed for this article
Saturday, February 21, 2009 at 1:37 am
Hawaii Jim
This is all Hokum !!!
Angels dancing on the point of a needle.
These facts about CO2 are all irrelevant, since
a.) CO2 is beneficial and will increase crop yields.
b.) CO2 is not a significant vector in Climate Change.
c. ) The SUN is mostly responsible for Climate.
Saturday, February 21, 2009 at 2:23 pm
mickiegirlca
Personally I’m much more concerned about water and pollution (especially in the form of chemicals & plastics) around the world. There might be too much CO2 in the air and that may or may not be a horrible thing but water is essential. And getting expensive.