It's a message no one wants to hear: To slow down global warming,we'll either have to put the brakes on economic growth or transformthe way the world's economies work. That's the implication of aninnovative University of Michigan study examining the evolution ofatmospheric CO2, the most likely cause of global climate change. The study, conducted by Jose Tapia Granados and Edward Ionides ofU-M and Oscar Carpintero of the University of Valladolid in Spain,was published online in the peer-reviewed journal EnvironmentalScience and Policy. It is the first analysis to use measurablelevels of atmospheric carbon dioxide to assess fluctuations in thegas, rather than estimates of CO2 emissions, which are lessaccurate. "If 'business as usual' conditions continue, economic contractionsthe size of the Great Recession or even bigger will be needed toreduce atmospheric levels of CO2," said Tapia Granados, who is aresearcher at the U-M Institute for Social Research (ISR). For the study, the researchers assessed the impact of four factorson short-run, year-to-year changes in atmospheric concentrations ofCO2, widely considered the most important greenhouse gas. Those factors included two natural phenomena believed to affect CO2levels-volcanic eruptions and the El Nino Southern oscillation-andalso world population and the world economy, as measured byworldwide gross domestic product. Tapia Granados and colleagues found no observable relation betweenshort-term growth of world population and CO2 concentrations, andthey show that incidents of volcanic activity coincided with globalrecessions, which brings into question the reductions inatmospheric CO2 previously ascribed to these volcanic eruptions. In years of above-trend world GDP, from 1958 to 2010, theresearchers found greater increases in CO2 concentrations. For eachtrillion in U.S. dollars that the world GDP deviates from trend,CO2 levels deviate from trend about half a part per million (ppm),they found. Concentrations of CO2 are estimated to have been between 200-300ppm during preindustrical times. They are presently close to 400ppm, and levels around 300 ppm are considered safe to keep a stableclimate. To break the economic habits contributing to a rise in atmosphericCO2 levels and global warming, Tapia Granados says that societiesaround the world would need to make enormous changes. "Since the 1980s, scientists like James Hansen have been warning usabout the effects global warming will have on the earth," TapiaGranados said. "One solution that has promise is a carbon taxlevied on any activity producing CO2 in order to create incentivesto reduce emissions. The money would be returned to individuals sothe tax would not mean any extra fiscal burden." Figures depicting CO2 emission trends can be downloaded here . The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as 10 Layer PCB Manufacturer , China Flexible PCB Board, and more. For more , please visit Flexible PCB Board today!
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