Articles | Volume 8, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-8-577-2017
https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-8-577-2017
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18 Jul 2017
Research article | Highlight paper |  | 18 Jul 2017

Young people's burden: requirement of negative CO2 emissions

James Hansen, Makiko Sato, Pushker Kharecha, Karina von Schuckmann, David J. Beerling, Junji Cao, Shaun Marcott, Valerie Masson-Delmotte, Michael J. Prather, Eelco J. Rohling, Jeremy Shakun, Pete Smith, Andrew Lacis, Gary Russell, and Reto Ruedy

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Young people's burden: Data files J. Hansen, M. Sato, P. Kharecha, and K. von Schuckmann https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.823301

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Short summary
Global temperature now exceeds +1.25 °C relative to 1880–1920, similar to warmth of the Eemian period. Keeping warming less than 1.5 °C or CO2 below 350 ppm now requires extraction of CO2 from the air. If rapid phaseout of fossil fuel emissions begins soon, most extraction can be via improved agricultural and forestry practices. In contrast, continued high emissions places a burden on young people of massive technological CO2 extraction with large risks, high costs and uncertain feasibility.
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