THIS POST IS A PRESENTATION OF A CLIMATE CHANGE ARTICLE BY THE ECONOMIST ON THE EXPECTED FAILURE OF THE PARIS AGEEMENT.

LINK TO SOURCE: https://www.economist.com/schools-brief/2020/05/09/humanitys-immense-impact-on-earths-climate-and-carbon-cycle

A QUOTATION FROM THE ARTICLE

QUESTION: THE PARIS AGREEMENT CALLS FOR INCREASES TO THE ATMOSPHERE’S CARBON DIOXIDE LEVEL CAUSED BY FOSSIL FUELS TO END BY THE SECOND HALF OF THE CENTURY (THE YEAR 2050). BUT THAT DEADLINE WILL PROBABLY NOT BE MET. SO WHAT HAPPENS IF WE FAIL TO MEET THE PARIS AGREEMENT TARGET?

ANSWER: EVEN IF THE PARIS AGREEMENT TARGET IS NOT MET, SOME MIXTURE OF POLICY, CATASTROPHE, AND RESOURCE DEPLETION WILL EVENTUALLY BRING THE RISE IN ATMOSPHERIC CO2 TO AN END. THE FLOWS OF CARBON BETWEEN THE ATMOSPHERE, OCEAN, AND BIOSPHERE WILL THEN COME BACK INTO BALANCE.

ATMOSPHERIC CO2: THE CARBON DIOXIDE LEVEL OF THE ATMOSPHERE WILL SETTLE DOWN. THE TEMPERTURE MAY STILL STAY HIGH BUT THE WARMING WILL END. BUT THAT TEMPERATURE PLATEAU WILL EVENTUALLY SUBSIDE DUE TO A NATURAL RESPONSE TO HIGH TEMPERATURE.

SIICATE MINERALS; FOR EXAMPLE, THE EROSION OF THE EARTH’S CRUST EXPECTED BY CLIMATE SCIENCE WILL EXPOSE SILICATE MINERALS THAT WILL REMOVE CARBON DIOXIDE FROM THE ATMOSPHERE AND CAUSE COOLING OVER SUFFICIENTLY LONG TIME SCALES.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION BY THE BLOGGER

CLIMATE CATASTROPHE IS SELF CORRECTNG BECAUSE THE CATASTROPHE WILL CAUSE A REDUCTION IN CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS SUCH THAT WARMING WILL CEASE ALTHOUGH PERHAPS AT A HIGHER TEMPERATURE THAN PRESENT. OVER LONGER TIME SCALES, THAT HIGH TEMPERATURE WILL DECLINE BY WAY OF THE GEOLOGIC SILICATE CARBON ABSORPTION. THE PLANET WILL NOT DIE.