We are using fossil fuel at a phenomenal rate.
Millions of years ago Earth had an unbreathable atmosphere, with no oxygen and rampant ‘greenhouse effect’. Life, especially plants, evolved to cope with that; take CO2 out of the air and replace it with oxygen. Over time they evolved into the plants we have now, able to manage on low concentrations of CO2 and in cooler weather.
Now, within decades, we’re ploughing through millions of years’ worth of buried carbon. Natural systems can’t absorb it all. (They currently produce 150 GT/y CO2, while man produces 7; but they absorb 154, leaving 3 in the air. So small tips to the 150 or 154 figures will make big differences to the atmosphere.)
The Earth's temperature is rising fast, and its blamed on our CO2. Past evidence shows that when the climate warms, nature releases CO2: that could mean that if we push our luck to far with man-made CO2, nature will take over and no amount of back-pedalling by mankind will pull us out of climate chaos.
The new climate is expected to be bad for us, with floods, gales and crop failures, but worse for those in poorer countries. Their desire to acquire the trappings of the west is mistaken. Poverty was caused by unfair trade; left alone communities can manage on local resources. Poverty could be alleviated if we in the west stopped paying slave wages for imported goods, and threw less in our bins.
And then there are the problems relating to running out of fuel, increasing numbers of people chasing decreasing amounts of fuel - the poor suffer again. And the way energy is currently used endures we eat through our resources and dump them into landfills, or incinerators.
We’ll also suffer the side-effects of world-wide strife. Cutting our emissions is an easy option – avoiding flying, minimising travel, buying local, conserving energy, avoiding wasted industrial effort, renewable energy and eating less meat. No sweat!
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