How much CO2 emissions would be considered sustainable for humanity?

Question

If climate change is happening because we are producing too much CO2, how much does humanity have to cut back, in order to get to sustainable levels?

Answer 1

Excellent question. No one knows, because CO2 is recycled by complex natural system called the carbon cycle.

Here's a graph showing what's going on now.

http://scrippsco2.ucsd.edu/graphics_gallery/mauna_loa_record/mlo_record.html

The tiny teeth are the natural cycle. In summer plants reduce CO2. In winter it goes up from a complex variety of natural and man made sources.

The big trend upwards is us, burning fossil fuels.

What you'd want is for the graph to level off, showing the natural cycle has everything under control. The only sure thing is that, for starters, we need to stop the yearly increase in man made CO2. Even that will not be easy.

Answer 2

If climate change is happening because of human caused CO2 emissions, why are the other planets with their moons, the ones with atmosphere in our solar system, heating up too?

This is a question without an answer. Research how much CO2 are generated by a minor of moderate volcanic eruption.

This living system, in which we reside, is very elastic or there would be no life here after al the catastrophes of the past.

Answer 3

Most likely as much as we damn well please; not to say we shouldn't cut back on general principles, but the CO2-global warming 'crisis' is largely a myth.

The planet is currently in the midst of an interglacial warming period; which in turn is part of a longer cycle of periodic glaciation; which in turn is part of an estimated 27-million year long cycle of highly variable local climates; which in turn is the last portion of an estimated 80-million year long cycle of generally cooler and drier global climate.

It is true that global CO2 levels, at roughly 380 ppm, are about as high as they have been in the past 120,000 years or so. It is also true that during that period, occasional natural fluctuations have reached nearly to current levels. More importantly, the average CO2 level over the history of land-based life on earth has been about 2000 ppm. At its peak, CO2 levels have reached as high as 4000 ppm without life on earth showing any appreciable decline.

In other words, trying to influence the climate by cutting down on CO2 is like trying to pay off the national debt with bake sales.

Answer 4

2000 cubic kilometres per half hour use the formulea mc2