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Climate & Target-Setting
In Gas-CAP, the user can define a global emissions curve to meet his/her desired stabilization level for ppm. Emissions target-setting involves acceptance of the underlying variability and uncertainty in the climate response, which are described by the IPCC in terms of ranges and probabilities of potential responses.
An increase in the ppm of CO2 leads to changes in global surface temperature and changes in ocean acidity. These changes have impacts on global freshwater supplies, sea level, survival of species, agricultural productivity, human disease vectors, wildfires, and other complex environmental phenomena.
The emissions of CO2 lead to an increase in the atmospheric concentration of CO2, commonly stated in parts-per-million (ppm(v)). 1 ppm means there is 1 molecule of CO2 per million molecules of dry air.
The following sections summarize the linkage between emissions, ppm, temperature, and impacts, providing background for the user to set emissions targets, and also provide information on policies currently under discussion in national and international political bodies.
For information on how ppm is calculated in Gas-CAP, see Equations (ppm). Last Updated: June 17, 2008 - 12:11pm |