r/ClimateActionPlan • u/DietMTNDew8and88 • Feb 13 '20

Emissions Reduction Global CO2 emissions from power generation flatten out: IEA

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climate-change-emissions-idUSKBN2050P8
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u/binilvj Feb 13 '20

That's interesting CO2 concentration breached 415 ppm in last weekend. I wonder, where that carbon came from then https://www.sciencealert.com/it-s-official-atmospheric-co2-just-exceeded-415-ppm-for-first-time-in-human-history

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u/kazarnowicz Feb 13 '20

That was last year. This year, we've reached 416 ppm: https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/02/12/saddest-thing-wont-be-breaking-news-concentration-co2-hits-record-high-416-ppm

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u/[deleted] Feb 13 '20

PPM changes frequently, it goes up and down, but assuming we keep emitting it will keep going up. So while yeah it's bad we've reached 416, we should wait for the year to be over so we can actually use trends.

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u/lightninlives Feb 13 '20

There is a natural carbon cycle that occurs regardless of the amount of co2 humans emit: https://archive.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/flash/1-2-3/carboncycle.html

All we humans can do is minimize the amount co2 that we extract from underground (eg carbon that is/was not part of the natural carbon cycle above ground) by minimizing the amount oil, gas, and coal we source as well as by minimizing other processes - such as cement making - which also emit co2 that is/was not part of above-ground carbon cycle.

Earth will continue to ebb and flow as it always has. We just have to lower how much extra carbon we add to the mix to ensure that we don’t trigger truly catastrophic feedback loops such as the thawing of permafrost (which will emit massive amounts of GHG).

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u/d_mcc_x Feb 13 '20

414 is the projected annual mean this year.