[Coral-List] Bleaching

[Bruno, John]

Just popping into this discussion about ocean warming and coral bleaching to point out that in Gene's response to Austin, he confused two issues. Austin expressed skepticism that humanity can cut our RATE of emissions in half by 2030 (which is roughly what's required to limit warming to 1.5C). Gene's point about the atmospheric CONCENTRATION of CO2 taking decades-centuries to drop back to pre-industrial levels (in the absence of intervention like CCS) is correct, but not relevant to Austin's point. 

Once our emissions reach zero, warming will stop nearly immediately, even though the concentration of greenhouse gases will remain elevated. That's the good news. The challenge is obviously reducing net global emissions to zero. 

Cheers,

JB

> Thanks Austin, I have become so used to broken promises by governmens 
> and businesses that it just bounces off. I recall many climate change 
> authors claiming that if all sources of Co2 were stopped today it would 
> take about? half a century for Co2 levels to drop to pre-industrial 
> levels. Reducing present levels in 8-years is not realistic. Gene

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xBVD8r0aHQ
> If the only solution is to half emissions within 8 years, how is that even
> remotely possible?
> 
> Austin Bowden-Kerby, PhD