WHAT would happen if in 50 years’ time the world suddenly stopped burning fossil fuels? Surprisingly little as far as the climate is concerned.
Of course, it’s not actually possible to halt CO2 emissions overnight, but envisaging such a scenario helped Susan Solomon of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado, get a better grip on our climate’s future.
In her model, CO2 concentrations were double pre-industrial levels – which could easily happen by mid-century – when emissions were stopped. The team found that while levels would fall as the oceans absorb CO2…
