Annual Carbon Budget in Dire Straits
The latest global carbon budget numbers are just out. Most striking is that, despite years of effort, carbon dioxide emissions are increasing at an alarming rate of 3.5% a year– faster than the 2.7% predicted by the IPCC in their worst case scenario, and miles ahead of the 0.9% annual rise in the 1990s. For the first time, we have hit 10 billion tons of carbon emitted annually. The other thing to note is that China and India are galumphing their way up the table of biggest carbon dioxide emitters. Ten years ago the top four were: USA, China, Russia, Japan. Today that list reads: China, USA, Russia, India, with India coming up fast to become third place by next year. China has, since 2002, jumped from being responsible for 14% of the global carbon dioxide emissions, to 21%. At the same time the US has been hovering at around 20%.
Tags: carbon dioxide, China, Global carbon budget, Global Warming, India
