Halt all carbon emissions by 2050, says Worldwatch
To avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change, world carbon emissions will have to drop to near zero by 2050 and "go negative" after that, the Worldwatch Institute reported. This is a deeper cut than called for by most climate experts and...
To avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change, world carbon emissions will have to drop to near zero by 2050 and "go negative" after that, the Worldwatch Institute reported. This is a deeper cut than called for by most climate experts and policymakers, including President-elect Barack Obama, who favours an 80 per cent drop in US carbon emissions by mid-century.
Limiting carbon emissions aims to keep global mean temperature from rising more than 2˚C over what it was before the Industrial Revolution -0 but one Worldwatch author said even this is too dangerous.
"Global warming needs to be reduced from peak levels to 1˚C as fast as possible," co-author William Hare said at a briefing on the State of the World 2009 report. "At this level you can see some of the risks fade into the background."
Global mean temperature has already risen 1.4 ˚C since 1850, so drastic cuts in emissions of climate-warming carbon dioxide are needed.
Limiting carbon emissions aims to keep global mean temperature from rising more than 2˚C over what it was before the Industrial Revolution -0 but one Worldwatch author said even this is too dangerous.
"Global warming needs to be reduced from peak levels to 1˚C as fast as possible," co-author William Hare said at a briefing on the State of the World 2009 report. "At this level you can see some of the risks fade into the background."
Global mean temperature has already risen 1.4 ˚C since 1850, so drastic cuts in emissions of climate-warming carbon dioxide are needed.