The older generation has used up most of the lifetime emissions budget that the younger generation would need to survive in future, says a Carbon Brief study. So, a person born today will have only an eighth of the lifetime emissions to burn compared to that of a person born in 1950, under a warming scenario of 1.5C. By conflating historical data on emissions, population and location, each person’s lifetime “carbon budget” was calculated.
According to the study, the lifetime carbon budget of an average American born in 1946 is 1,551 tonnes compared to 197 tonnes for someone born in 2017. And just 18 tonnes for a child born in India in 2017, reported Gizmodo.
You may also like
-
Longest La Niña of decade ends, El Niño on its way
-
IPCC’s climate reports reveal an unequal science
-
Act now or it’s too late: IPCC ‘synthesis report’ gives final warning on climate crisis
-
Window of opportunity to secure a liveable future rapidly closing: IPCC synthesis report
-
Climate-change-induced alterations in weather resulting in warmer winters