If 6.5 billion tons of carbon or 23.8 billion tons of CO2 are emitted by industry and the other 1.5 billion tons of carbon are caused by deforestation then this is how much CO2 industry is emitting at a growth rate of 2.6% per year. In 50 years 2383 billion tons of carbon dioxide are emitted but 880 billion tons ( 17.6 billion X 50 years) are removed by nature, so 1503 billion tons are added to the atmosphere. (1920+1503)/1920=1.78 In 50 years CO2 levels increase by 78% if our pattern of fossil fuel burning is unchanged.
However, I am confident that we will conserve, drive more efficient vehicles, build more efficient fossil fuel burning powerplants, make use of fission and alternate energy technologies like winds, solar and biomass; manage forests more wisely by planting fast growing young trees after cutting, establish carbon sinks in irrigated semi-arid and desert areas, and forestall this rise in CO2 long enough to develop non-carbon emitting technologies like fusion and cars powered by LNH3+hydrogen generating NH3 crackers and fuel cells. The sky is not falling, but we must take action today. |
