Ken Caldeira argues that climate change is occurring faster than ever in recorded history due to human emissions of carbon dioxide. Each day, 110 million tons of carbon pollution are dumped into the atmosphere, equivalent to hundreds of Hiroshima bombs daily. This is causing hotter summers, rising seas, dying coral reefs, and increased ocean acidification. However, he maintains that there is still hope to limit warming if society demands massive deployment of affordable zero-emission energy and policies are implemented to reduce emissions by at least 69% from current levels.

1. Ken Caldeira, Stanford
Department of Global Ecology
Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA
STOP EMISSIONS!

2. Climate change
than in recorded history
TODAY
Faster

3. WHY?
This is our thin atmosphere
EVERY day
365 days a year
EVERY 24 hours

4. WHY?
110,000,000 tons
Carbon dumped
into atmosphere

5. 110 million tons of pollution a day
=

6. Hiroshima bombs EVERY 24 hours 365 days a year.
=

7. EFFECT – hot summers
0% 10% 50% 70% 90% 100%

8. EFFECT – rising seas

9. EFFECT – coral reefs dying
per week

10. HOPE

11. unacceptable

12. HOPE
69% future
decisions

13. POTENTIAL TO CHANGECo2emissions/year
Existing infrastructure
Future
Infrastructure
low
middle
high
IPCC
Scenarios
69%

14. OUR STUDY – coral reefs
30%more acid
than pre-industrial revolution

15. Where is energy going?W/m2ofGlobe

16. POTENTIAL TO CHANGE

17. POTENTIAL TO CHANGE
Increase 02 by 7%
0 53

18. HOPE
does matter
What we do today

19. Antarctic Sheet after 10,0000 yearsAntarctic Sheet after 10,000 years
No further
emissions 10,000 GtC2,500 GtC

20. Antarctic and sea-level change
50
10
40
30
20
2,000 10,0004,000 6,000 8,000
10,000 GtC
5,000 GtC
2,500 GtC
625 GtC
312 GtC
1,250 GtC

22. SOCIAL CHANGE
DEMAND
Massive deployment of
affordable, zero-emission energy

23. Current policy
+3.3/3.8 C
New pledge
+2.5/2.7 C
Less than 2 C
Estimated Global Greenhouse gas emissions

24. The clock is ticking

25. SOCIAL CHANGE
is NOW!