“If humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted, paleoclimate evidence and ongoing climate change suggest that CO2 will need to be reduced from its current 385 ppm to at most 350 ppm.” ~James Hansen et al
Just to reiterate … the CO2 in our atmosphere now is 385 parts per million now and it grows annually by 2 ppm. We need it to be at 350 ppm to sustain life as we know it.
Bill McKibben offers some possible solutions in this Mother Jones article. It’s not going to be easy. But, as he says, “… physics and chemistry won’t reward good intentions. Methane is seriously uninterested in compromise. Permafrost, notoriously, refuses to bargain. Even the absolute political power represented by King Canute couldn’t hold back the rising seas. Those forces will only pay attention if we can scramble back below 350.”
messiestobjects said,
May 11, 2009 at 7:39 pm
Are you trying to scare me?
julieluongo said,
May 11, 2009 at 7:44 pm
I tried jumping into your office and shouting Boo, but you’re kind of unflappable. Maybe you heard me coming?