Total Global CO2 Output Up 3% YOY In 2011 - 420 BMT Of CO2 Added Since 2000 [View all]

[hatrack]

Global carbon dioxide emissions rose 3 percent to 34 billion tonnes in 2011, according to a new EU report, undermining a U.N. goal to limit the rise in global average temperatures to 2C above industrial levels by 2050.

According to the report, published Wednesday by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) and the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, nations cannot emit more than 1.500 trillion tonnes of CO2 between 2000 and 2050 to meet the threshold recommended by a U.N. scientific panel.

"If the current global trend of increasing CO2 emissions continues, cumulative emissions will surpass this limit within the next two decades," the JRC said in a statement.

The study said 420 million metric tons (463 million tons) have already been pumped into the atmosphere since the turn of the century. (sic)

Ed. - I think this is a typo here - 420 million metric tons over 11 years makes no mathematical sense, but 420 billion would.

EDIT

http://planetark.org/enviro-news/item/65971