DOE Scientist - Global Carbon Emissions Up 28% Since 1990, Nearly 3% In 2005 Alone - Reuters

[hatrack]

LONDON - Global carbon emissions rose nearly 3 percent in 2005, up more than a quarter from 1990 levels despite many governments' pledges of cuts to fight global warming, a scientist who provides data for the US Department of Energy said.

"The rate of acceleration is quite phenomenal," said Gregg Marland, senior staff scientist at the US Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC), which supplies emissions data to governments, researchers and NGOs worldwide. "Half of all emissions have been since 1980. I think people lose track of the rate of acceleration. You tend to think of (this as) something that's been going on -- it's not," he told Reuters late on Thursday.

Rising emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases risk contributing to severe climate change, including rises in sea levels and extreme weather, many scientists say. They say dramatic cuts in emissions are needed by mid-century to reduce the scale of such changes, and the steep rise in emissions in recent years underscores the size of the task facing governments round the world.

The CDIAC estimates that global carbon emissions rose some 200 million tonnes to 7.9 billion tonnes in 2005, 28 percent above 1990 levels. This followed a rise of nearly 5 percent in 2004, it said.

EDIT

http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/39407/story.htm

[Mendocino]

1. It is said that mankind in the last fifty years...

...has used as much energy and resources than all the people ever born before 1956 used in all the years proceeding that point. The future is indeed bleak.

[NNadir]

2. Yes, but at least we feel really, really, really, really bad about it.

That counts for something.