In the new Susan Soloman et. al. paper, CO2 enhancement after 1000 years is 40% of the present value (instead of 20% I had previously thought). Warming stays about constant for 1000+ years, even if ALL emissions stop today.

 

http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2009/01/28/0812721106.full.pdf+html

 

Considering that current CO2 levels are already disruptive on things like Arctic Ice I'd suggest the target CO2 level should be a value of less than today's. Emissions cuts should thus be very deep, roughly 80-90% globally by 2050 and 90-95% in the U.S.? Cuts should really be as close as we can get to 100% as soon as practically possible.

 

Only environmentally reasonable solution I see is finding ways to increase soil uptake and things like that.

Edited January 31, 200916 yr by scalbers

As long as I can I shall continue my daily efforts at woodstove home heating. I live in forested land needing clearing of dead and light thinning, plenty of opportunity. I have not had to turn on the heatpump except briefly on a few freezing 4 am mornings. There is much clearing of messy brush and dead crowns on the 3-acre hill beyond my house site. I try to do small burn piles of crowns well broken down after taking usable firewood (2"). The more charcoal the better, yah, for terra preta?