Can we walk away from trillions of dollars and leave it undisturbed in the ground?
If we can not, the impact will likely prove catastrophic for the planet. Many climate experts peg our future to no greater than a 3.6 degree F global temperature rise from preindustrial levels. If we use all our stored energy reserves and more deeply buried carbon resources—we will add about a 16 degrees F increase.
Conservative estimates, using all our coal resources alone, will result in almost a 9 degrees F increase.
This begs the obvious question: will we allow for the rabid pursuit of money even if it threatens our very survival?
Our children and their future progeny may know our answer.
From the New York Times: If We Dig Out All Our Fossil Fuels, Here’s How Hot We Can Expect It to Get
An interactive widget from the Guardian:
Shows in real time how much fossil fuels (oil, gas, and coal) have been used up in your lifetime. Click on the arrow at the bottom of the image for more informational displays