"Climate crunch: A burden beyond bearing" describes how the number 350 ppm became the goal to shoot for in CO_2 levels. At first it was noted that we were currently at 382 ppm and that we were increasing at 2 ppm a year. The mark that James Hansen thought we should not pass was initial 450 ppm and we had not reached it yet. Hansen then questioned him self and seeing the consequences we are ready facing at 382 ppm realized that 450 ppm was too high. He determined that 350 ppm was what was needed to shoot for. In earlier studyies it had been thought that 550 ppm was the mark. It was later determined that 550 ppm was way to high. I think that if we want to limit the amount of carbon emission we need to limit what we burn. We need to stop relying on the burning of coal and fossil fuels. 350 ppm will be attainable if we all work together.
http://www.nature.com.prox.lib.ncsu.edu/news/2009/090429/full/4581091a.html
I think that this article sounds really interesting from your summary. It is pretty crazy that the original maximum of CO2 levels were thought to be 550 ppm, when the maximum today is 350 ppm. I agree that we need to stop depending on the burning of coal and fossil fuels. This article relates the the fracking article by Lustgarten in the sense that humans are harming the earth with processes such as fracking and the burning of fossil fuels for rapidly decreasing resources.
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