Global warming by carbon concentration
From Envirowiki
Carbon's effect on the earth's temperature depends on climate sensitivity - the change in temperature that occurs after a doubling of CO2.
Carbon dioxide is measured in parts per million of the atmosphere by volume (ppm), as well as tonnes, of CO2. Total greenhouse gasses are usually measured as carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-e), which takes into account their global warming potential. CO2-e measurements are much larger than CO2 measurements, but are not directly convertible.
The measurements on this page refer to CO2 concentrations, and not CO2-e, unless otherwise stated.
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[edit] 1 Pre-industrial levels: 275ppm
Prior to the industrial revolution, there were no (or extremely few) CFCs, HCFCs, or other complex greenhouse gasses. Carbon dioxide was at 275ppm, Methane naturally occurred from various natural sources, such as peat bogs, and may have increased slightly since the agricultural revolutions due to cattle and rice farming.
The global average temperature was around 14°C.
[edit] 2 300ppm
300ppm is the level needed:
- to reverse the summer Arctic sea ice loss (300-325)[1]
- to be sure of avoiding massive sea level rise from ice sheet melt (300-350)[1]
- to maintain alpine water suppliest (300-350)[1]
- to avoid major shifting of climate zones towards the polest (300-350)[1], which would result in extinction for those species not able to migrate fast enough.
- to avoid major ocean acidificationt (300-350)[1].
[edit] 3 350ppm
This is the level that James Hansen recommends to achieve a safe-climate.
[edit] 4 Current levels: ~383ppm
Current global temperatures are ~0.8 above pre-industrial levels.
[edit] 5 400ppm
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[edit] 6 450ppm
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[edit] 7 550ppm
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[edit] 8 650ppm
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[edit] 9 1000ppm
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