3.0 degree limit

Why do we need to keep 80% of the fossil fuels in the ground?

gregladen | June 18, 2016

Roughly speaking, we are toast if the Earth's surface temperatures reach something like 3 degrees C above pre-industrial levels. We have already reached about 1.5 degrees C above pre-industrial, and we will go higher even if we stop adding more greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere, because it takes time for the Earth's system (the oceans, atmosphere, and ice, mainly) to catch up. It is generally thought that if we don't keep about 80% of the known fossil fuel, including coal, oil and other oily substances, and gas, in the ground, then we will go past that 3 degree level. As noted in a recent…