Feed on
Posts
Comments

Uh Oh

Here is a new paper from Geophysical Research Letters:

The resulting enhancement of atmospheric solar absorption (only the direct effect of aerosols is included) over Asia induces tropospheric heating anomalies that force large-scale circulation changes which, averaged over the twenty-year period, add as much as an additional 0.4°C warming over the eastern US during winter and over most of the US during summer

In other words, the US will warm by more due to actions in East Asia than the amount of warming the US would prevent by reducing it's own CO2 emissions by 80% by 2050. Let me remind my readers what an 80% reduction in CO2 emissions in the US by 2050 looks like. It's just taking a cold shower. Remember that transportation makes up only 1/5 to 1/4 of our emissions. So even if we eliminated CO2 entirely from the transportation sector (say, by having Mike Bloomberg become President and then ban cars), we'd still have to reduce emissions by 70% to 75% more. Eating our children might get us there. 

One Response to “Uh Oh”

  1. Rod says:

    Stop complaining and put on one of those cardigan sweaters Jimmy Carter used in the White House when he set the thermostat at 68 degrees.  In Rochester, 40 degrees seems about right for the winter.  The upside: your refrigerator will need no electricity. 
     
    Hair shirts work well, too.

Leave a Reply