What Is Causing Climate Change?

The concentration of CO₂ in the atmosphere has increased from a preindustrial value of about 280 parts per million (ppm) to 379 ppm in 2005 (IPCC, 2007d). Most scenarios of future emissions of CO₂ involve increases of CO₂. In 2004, 26.9 billion metric tons of CO₂ were emitted, and 33.9 billion metric tons are projected to be emitted in 2015. By 2030, 42.9 metric tons of CO₂ are projected to be emitted (EIA, 2007).

References:

EIA (Energy Information Administration). 2007. International Energy Outlook 2007 (May 2007). DOE/EIA-0484(2007). accessed August 31, 2009.

IPCC. 2007d. Summary for Policymakers. In Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Solomon, S., D. Qin, M. Manning, Z. Chen, M. Marquis, K.B. Averyt, M.Tignor, and H.L. Miller (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA. accessed August 31, 2009.

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