Environment & Energy
Related: About this forumGlobal carbon emissions rise is far bigger than previous estimates
Carbon dioxide emissions have risen by even more than previously thought, according to new data analysed by the Guardian, casting doubt on whether the world can avoid dangerous climate change.
The data has emerged as governments met in Rio de Janeiro to finalise the outcome of the Rio+20 conference, aimed at ensuring that economic growth does not come at the expense of irreparable environmental degradation, but which activists say has not achieved enough to stave off severe environmental problems.
Global carbon emissions from energy are up 48% on 1992, when the original Earth summit took place in Rio a historic summit at which governments agreed to limit emissions in order to prevent dangerous climate change.
In 2010, the latest year for which figures have been compiled, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) said the world emitted 31.8bn tonnes of carbon from energy consumption. That represents a climb of 6.7% on the year before and is significantly higher than the previous best estimate, made by the International Energy Agency last year, that in 2010 a record 30.6 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide were released from burning fossil fuel.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jun/21/global-carbon-emissions-record?intcmp=122
xchrom
(108,903 posts)NoMoreWarNow
(1,259 posts)there's no way to stop this, and we now need to figure out how to deal with this resulting catastrophe.
joshcryer
(62,276 posts)Geoengineering.
GliderGuider
(21,088 posts)Emissions have risen by 70% since 1985. Check the slope since the recession in 2008.
I think "we're cooked" pretty much sums it up.
joshcryer
(62,276 posts)...it's likely that it'll go up even more in 2012.
hatrack
(59,587 posts). . . Faster Than Expected (TM)
Gregorian
(23,867 posts)Wake up, world. Or else.
NickB79
(19,253 posts)You know, the ones predicting a 6+C rise by 2100.
Way to go, tool monkeys!
joshcryer
(62,276 posts)joshcryer
(62,276 posts)We're not doing shit about climate change.