CARBON DIOXIDE

CARBON DIOXIDE

Carbon dioxide released by mankind into the atmosphere today will influence its atmospheric n the years to come, since the time taken for carbon dioxide to adjust to changes in sources or sinks is in the order of 50 to 200 years.

 The Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change science experts, has estimated that to just stabilise concentrations at present day levels would require a massive 60% reduction of global carbon dioxide. In addition, because of the rather slow response of the global climate, even if we took action today to limit carbon dioxide emissions, mankind has already been committed to a certain amount of climate change over the next 50 years. The challenge for future generations will be to prevent further global climate change from taking place.

hrough Earth history the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has varied significantly.

The Earth's early atmosphere was probably composed mostly of carbon dioxide. At that time, the would have been very strong, trapping much more heat than today, but billions of years ago the Sun was not as hot. During the last few hundred million years, the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide has generally been declining. In the most recent geological past it has been only a trace gas making up a few hundred parts per million of the gases in the atmosphere.