Peter GleickYou are here.
[Welcome to 2024 and the past 800,000 years of atmospheric CO2.]
Michal Pawinski@petergleick Ironically, it reflects the population growth of humans in the past 100 years—8 billion people and increasing.
Roger Lancefield@Mencjusz @petergleick
Yeah, but let's be careful not to offload blame on to those who bear (and will bear) relatively little responsibility. The richest 10% of people on the planet are estimated to be responsible for around half of all emissions. It's the lifestyles of the wealthy minority that are driving climate change.
Yeah, but let's be careful not to offload blame on to those who bear (and will bear) relatively little responsibility. The richest 10% of people on the planet are estimated to be responsible for around half of all emissions. It's the lifestyles of the wealthy minority that are driving climate change.
It is not about blaming. It's about factors that impact the environment.
Rich that live in opulent lives in their private jets and yachts are part of the problem.
Part of the problem are the people who continue to reproduce irrespectively of the environmental degradation. More people, more resources needed.
8 billion is already unsustainable.
The OP's point concerned climate. The biggest contributing factors to climate breakdown, by far, are the economies and associated emissions of the wealthy and industrialised nations.
Anyone serious about solving this problem needs to address this glaring fact first. Encouraging people in the poorer parts of the world (where birth rates tend to be highest) to have fewer children, will do little to rein in emissions in any timescale that matters.
Emissions are not the only factor in environmental degradation. More land for housing or farming due to increased number of people also contributes to climate change. Overpopulation can dramatically affect local micro-climate. Look at India and toxic levels of CO2 due to overpopulation and consumption of goods.
Again, I agree that the wealthy are major contributors, but we are talking about a complex adaptive system where every part has an impact on the system itself.
@Mencjusz @petergleick
Yep, understood, but the OP's post was about the key greenhouse gas heating our planet, not broader environmental concerns.
CO2 along with the other GHGs has been and will continue to be disproportionately emitted by the lifestyles & economies of the wealthier nations. If the current pattern of pop. growth stopped tomorrow, it would barely move the emissions needle in any meaningful timescale. Hence global population is a red herring in terms of climate solutions.
Yep, understood, but the OP's post was about the key greenhouse gas heating our planet, not broader environmental concerns.
CO2 along with the other GHGs has been and will continue to be disproportionately emitted by the lifestyles & economies of the wealthier nations. If the current pattern of pop. growth stopped tomorrow, it would barely move the emissions needle in any meaningful timescale. Hence global population is a red herring in terms of climate solutions.