Environment & Energy

Last edited Sun Nov 17, 2024, 01:38 PM - Edit history (1)

The Permian Extinction, to the degree that scientific data allow us to reconstruct it, took between 20,000 and 110,000 years to play out. And that's how long it took for atmospheric CO2 to rise from +./ 400 ppm to +/- 2,500 ppm.

Today's direct data show a roughly 100 ppm increase (that is, 230 billion tons) increase in 65 years. At the rate we're going - i.e. going from 315 ppm in 1958 to 422 ppm as of October 2024, we'll get there much, much more quickly, especially if there are natural systems/processes that we haven't factored into our analysis, and as FF development continues.

And to "get there" - that is, hit levels at which we couldn't live anyway - isn't the main point (CDC classifies CO2 as ILDH (Immediately Dangerous To Life And Health) at 5,000 ppm).

We would have screwed climate stability, crop weather predictability and much more well before we got to the lab-rat level of carbon dioxide intoxication.

Rate of change matters.