File:Like a speeding freight train.png

• https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/05/climate/greenhouse-gas-emissions-2018.html

Greenhouse gas emissions worldwide are growing at an accelerating pace this year, researchers said Wednesday (December 5, 2018), putting the world on track to face some of the most severe consequences of global warming sooner than expected.

Scientists described the quickening rate of carbon dioxide emissions in stark terms, comparing it to a “speeding freight train” and laying part of the blame on an unexpected surge in the appetite for oil as people around the world not only buy more cars but also drive them farther than in the past — more than offsetting any gains from the spread of electric vehicles.

“We’ve seen oil use go up five years in a row,” said Rob Jackson, a professor of earth system science at Stanford and an author of one of two studies published Wednesday. “That’s really surprising.”

Worldwide, carbon emissions are expected to increase by 2.7 percent in 2018, according to the new research, which was published by the Global Carbon Project, a group of 100 scientists from more than 50 academic and research institutions and one of the few organizations to comprehensively examine global emissions numbers. Emissions rose 1.6 percent last year, the researchers said, ending a three-year plateau.

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Peter Gleick

• https://twitter.com/PeterGleick/status/1070431365764603904

Thread:

A few thoughts about the new, depressing, carbon budget/CO2 emissions report.

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Global Carbon Budget 2018 https://www.earth-syst-sci-data.net/10/2141/2018/

5 Dec 2018

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Here's a great graphic showing where carbon emissions come from (top) and where they go. They come from fossil fuels and land use changes (agriculture and deforestation and fires); and they go into the atmosphere and oceans and soil/vegetation. #climate

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These graphs show fossil fuel contributions (bottom left); total national emissions (upper right); & per person emissions (lower right). While most media are only showing the massive Chinese/India emissions, the US is BY FAR the largest carbon polluter, per person. #climate

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