Yesterday, I mentioned two sobering reports from last week on
our climate prospects. The the International Energy Agency (IEA)
reported that energy-related carbon-dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2010
were the highest in history.
After a dip in 2009 caused by the global financial crisis,
emissions are estimated to have climbed to a record 30.6 Gigatonnes
(Gt), a 5% jump from the previous record year in 2008, when levels
reached 29.3 Gt. In addition, the IEA estimates that 80% of
projected emissions from the power sector in 2020 are already
locked in, as they will come from power plants that are currently
in place or under construction today. Unsurprisingly, most of the
growth is in developing countries, such as China and India.
