Why does CO2 matter?
Because there is no planet B.
Mike Berners-Lee
Why CO2 matters
The global warming has catastrophic consequences for our planet and threatens the existence of nature and mankind. There is little doubt that it is caused by a radical increase in greenhouse gases (GHG) in our atmosphere as a result of human activity [1].
In 2016, GHG emissions measured in CO2-equivalents summed up to around 50 billion tons [2]. Atmospheric concentration of CO2 has risen by 48% from 280 ppm at the beginning of the industrial revolution in 1850 to 415 ppm today [3].
A glimpse into history shows: over the past millenia, never has the CO2 concentration reached such levels; never has there been such an increase.
Hannah Ritchie and Max Roser (2017) - "CO₂ and Greenhouse Gas Emissions". Published online at OurWorldInData.org. Retrieved from: 'https://ourworldindata.org/co2-and-other-greenhouse-gas-emissions'
With the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change many countries committed to take action in order keep global temperature well below 2°C. Scientists have developed models to calculate the remaining carbon budget - the amount of carbon emissions permitted to hold the temperature limit. The resulting amounts range from 118 billion tons CO2e to 779 billion tons CO2e - and respective time horizons between less than three and sixteen years assuming stable emissions at current levels [4].
Unless we change something, a growing population and intensified economic activity on our planet will further increase GHG emissions and amplify global warming. So why does CO2 matter? Let's join Mike Berners-Lee and agree on three fundamental facts [5]:
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We are in a climate emergency.
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It's human made.
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And we can do something about it.
References
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https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-how-much-carbon-budget-is-left-to-limit-global-warming-to-1-5c
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Mike Berners-Lee, 2010, 2020, How Bad are Bananas, Profile Books, revised 2020 edition, page 3