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Decline in uptake of carbon emissions confirmed
October 25, 2007A decline in the proportion of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions absorbed by land and oceans is speeding up the growth of atmospheric CO2, according to a paper published today in the US Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.
ead author and Executive Director of the Global Carbon Project, CSIRO's Dr Pep Canadell, says the acceleration is due to three factors: global economic growth; the world's economy becoming more carbon intense (that is, since 2000 more carbon is being emitted to produce each dollar of global wealth); and a deterioration in the land and oceans' ability to absorb carbon from the atmosphere at the required rate.
"What we are seeing is a decrease in the planet's ability to absorb carbon emissions due to human activity," Dr Canadell says.
"Fifty years ago, for every tonne of CO2 emitted, 600kg were removed by land and ocean sinks. However, in 2006, only 550kg were removed per tonne and that amount is falling."
Dr Canadell says the results have major implications for the current and future growth of atmospheric CO2.
"The majority of current emission scenarios for modelling climate through the 21st century assume sustained decreases in the carbon intensity of the global economy, which have not occurred since 2000," he says.
CSIRO's Dr Mike Raupach, a co-chair of the Global Carbon Project, says "The carbon cycle is generating stronger-than-expected and sooner-than-expected climate 'forcing' - that is, mechanisms that 'force' the climate to change. In turn, climate change itself is feeding back to affect the carbon cycle, decreasing land and ocean sinks."
Most of the co-authors of the study - including Dr Canadell and Dr Raupach - are members of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2007 earlier this month.
Dr Raupach says the research shows that the Earth is losing its restorative capacity to absorb CO2 emissions following massive increases in emissions over the past half century. "The longer we delay reducing emissions, the more restorative capacity will be lost," Dr Raupach says.
CSIRO Australia
"Fifty years ago, for every tonne of CO2 emitted, 600kg were removed by land and ocean sinks. However, in 2006, only 550kg were removed per tonne and that amount is falling."
Dr Canadell says the results have major implications for the current and future growth of atmospheric CO2.
"The majority of current emission scenarios for modelling climate through the 21st century assume sustained decreases in the carbon intensity of the global economy, which have not occurred since 2000," he says.
CSIRO's Dr Mike Raupach, a co-chair of the Global Carbon Project, says "The carbon cycle is generating stronger-than-expected and sooner-than-expected climate 'forcing' - that is, mechanisms that 'force' the climate to change. In turn, climate change itself is feeding back to affect the carbon cycle, decreasing land and ocean sinks."
Most of the co-authors of the study - including Dr Canadell and Dr Raupach - are members of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2007 earlier this month.
Dr Raupach says the research shows that the Earth is losing its restorative capacity to absorb CO2 emissions following massive increases in emissions over the past half century. "The longer we delay reducing emissions, the more restorative capacity will be lost," Dr Raupach says.
CSIRO Australia
Carbon Emission Current Events and Carbon Emission News RSSTime to lift the geoengineering taboo
Hot on the heels of the Royal Society's Geoengineering the Climate report, September's Physics World contains feature comment from UK experts stressing the need to start taking geoengineering - deliberate interventions in the climate system to counteract man-made global warming - more seriously.
Improved air quality during Beijing Olympics could inform pollution-curbing policies
The air in Beijing during the 2008 Olympics was cleaner than the previous year's, due to aggressive efforts by the Chinese government to curtail traffic, increase emissions standards and halt construction in preparation for the games, according to a Cornell study.
Biologists: Greening Arctic not likely to offset permafrost carbon release
As the frozen soil in the Arctic thaws, bacteria will break down organic matter, releasing long-stored carbon into the warming atmosphere.
Canadian research team reports major breakthrough in lithium battery technology
An NSERC-funded lab at the University Of Waterloo has laid the groundwork for a lithium battery that can store and deliver more than three times the power of conventional lithium ion batteries.
Bowman Global Change says public engagement critical to solving climate crisis
Tom Bowman, president of Bowman Global Change, a firm that helps organizations make sustainable transformations, has written a paper defining the adjustments to climate change communication programs required to encourage sustainable behaviors and drive society's response to climate change.
Carnegie Mellon urges industry to broaden carbon footprint calculations
Carnegie Mellon University researchers are urging companies to embrace new methods for following the trail of dangerous carbon emissions that are responsible for much of the world's global warming threats.
Leaving our mark
Whether you live in a cardboard box or a luxurious mansion, whether you subsist on homegrown vegetables or wolf down imported steaks, whether you're a jet-setter or a sedentary retiree, anyone who lives in the U.S. contributes more than twice as much greenhouse gas to the atmosphere as the global average, an MIT class has estimated.
UC experts detail new standard for cleaner transportation fuels
University of California experts today released their much-anticipated blueprint for fighting global warming by reducing the amount of carbon emitted when transportation fuels are used in California.
Weighing the financial risks of nuclear power plants
Enticed by the gleam of government subsidies, many companies are rushing to invest in nuclear power, expecting that new technology and safer reactors will make them as good an investment as other types of power plants.
New climate research reveals growing risk of water shortages and flooding in California
If the world continues to burn greenhouse gases, California may have an increased risk of winter floods and summer water shortages, even within the same year. This scenario may be more severe in future El Niño years.
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