[Greenbuilding] Net Zero Carbon Emissions Economy

[conservation architect]

1.66 tons co2 equivalent emissions/person to be fair



An important concept emerged in the COP21 (Climate Change) conference in Paris last December.  195 countries articulated a need to achieve a net zero carbon emissions economy.  This requires us to meet our economic needs in a way that does not increase carbon concentration.  



This brings up the question of what is our maximum average emissions to achieve this.  Given the limits of the atmosphere to absorb carbon safely, this average represents what would be fair for each of us to consume globally. 



Emissions-Sequestration <= zero 



More broadly the formula includes aspects that include the feedbacks such as diminished reflective ice, to:



Heat increasing developments – heat reducing developments <= zero



The following is based on my analysis and not a conclusion read from a paper by a real scientist.  Clarifications, corrections or additions are welcome.  



The graphic below is from IPCC report regarding emissions from fossil fuel and land use (human caused), vegetation & land (natural) and ocean (natural).  I use the term natural loosely, because the sequestration rates for vegetation, land and ocean are likely higher because of the high concentration of carbon created by anthropogenic (human caused) burning of fossil fuels and land use (deforestation).  Since Ocean sequestration over what they emit causes acidification, we really need to balance our individual emissions with vegetation and land.  These figures do not include the sequestration from some undetermined human method.  So far, bio char technology is the only method I see on the horizon that does not have huge risk.  







https://www.skepticalscience.com/human-co2-smaller-than-natural-emissions.htm



Vegetation and Land has net sequestration (439-450) 11gigatons/world population 7.3 billion people=1.66 tons co2 emissions/person to achieve net zero carbon emissions.



Therefore, if the world achieved an average of 1.66 tons of co2 emissions equivalent, we would not longer be adding GHG to the atmosphere.  I think it would be useful to recognize the level of performance needed to become harmless to the climate.  Beacause of the delay in achieving this standard, we really need to be net negative.  However, conceptually I think this is a useful concept to understand.  


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.bioenergylists.org/pipermail/greenbuilding_lists.bioenergylists.org/attachments/20160309/46cfd435/attachment-0001.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: clip_image001[2].gif
Type: image/gif
Size: 12395 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://lists.bioenergylists.org/pipermail/greenbuilding_lists.bioenergylists.org/attachments/20160309/46cfd435/attachment-0001.gif>