350 PPM CO2: Earth's Tipping Point? - Bill McKibben

Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2009/05/06/Bill_McKibben_350_The_Most_Important_Number_in_the_...

Deep Economy author Bill McKibben, co-founder and director of 350.org, presents the current concentration of carbon in the atmosphere, which has surpassed the redline of 350 ppm identified by scientists as the safe upper limit for C02 in the atmosphere.

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350 is the red line for human beings, the most important number on the planet. The most recent science tells us that unless we can reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million, we will cause huge and irreversible damage to the earth.

In this exclusive lecture for Sydney Ideas leading environmental writer and activist Bill McKibben talks about how climate science and climate politics are quickly evolvingand how we now have a much more specific idea both of the peril we face and the steps (large and difficult) necessary to solve it.

Even two years ago, scientists could offer only vague ideas of how much carbon in the atmosphere was too much. But in the wake of the rapid melt of Arctic sea ice in 2007, it's become clear that this is a problem not for the future but very much for the present.

In addition, McKibben describes the swelling grassroots global movement, 350.org, which looks set to coordinate the largest day of global environmental action ever, with actions from high in the Himalayas to underwater on the Great Barrier Reef. - Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Environmentalist Bill McKibben is a scholar in environmental studies at Middlebury College. Bill McKibben is an American environmentalist and writer who frequently writes about global warming, alternative energy, and the risks associated with human genetic engineering. Beginning in the summer of 2006, he led the organization of the largest demonstrations against global warming in American history. McKibben is active in the Methodist Church, and his writing sometimes has a spiritual bent. He is the author of The End of Nature (1989), the first book for a general audience about global warming. Recent books include Enough (2004), which critiques human genetic engineering and other rapidly advancing technologies; Wandering Home (2005), which catalogs his foot-travels across the Vermont landscape; and Age of Missing Information (2006), in which he compares his experience watching 1700 hours of videotaped TV to that of contemplating nature in the Adirondacks.

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[david222444]

The most important number is 150 ppm co2 that is when plant life shuts down. Rain absorbs co2 to form carbonic acid this is a massive negative feedback conveniently not mentioned. You cannot beat rain for carbon capture.

[GarfoyleZanderfield]

I think in 1940 there were readings of as high as 430 parts per million, but you know, these sorts of studies are relegated to human error and CANNOT BE ALLOWED INTO the IPCC's literature of Propaganda.

[GarfoyleZanderfield]

350 parts per million, that's funny.

What the hell is the difference between 400 and 350 parts per million. Personally I wish we had 1,400 parts per million C02. It would be lovely.

[dmlt12]

Agree in most part with aerobique, however action is needed now just as much or more than debates about it. It has been claimed (including in utube) that some of these debates are prompted from some of the "deniers" not so much from a real scientific perspective but from their need to confound and confuse and delay..maybe a special group

[xKlondikex]

Also, I hate to say it... But this is the year 02011, even mentioning the word 'rapture' in your arguments is bound to reduce your credibility more than just a little. "Remember rapture?" Wow, yeah I remember the story of the rapture, oh now it all makes perfect sense! Please...

Get a clue bro.

[xKlondikex]

The climate change "controversy" is a purely American phenomenon. Nothing you can say can change the fact that other countries are pushing green investment like a freight train... Just look at Australia, in less than 9 years, they'll be 100% green. Also climate change has been a matter of science fact since the 50's. Also what does it mean to you when I say that at the time, the 90's was the hottest decade... Until this decade, of course. Now it's the hottest. Propaganda...

[david222444]

@xKlondikex Speculation? you mean like the greenhouse theory is speculation? The lack of sunspots still continues. In a Grand Solar Minimum the 11yr cycle may not start for a few years. Laymans sunspot count may enlighten you( pardon the pun).

[xKlondikex]

@david222444 BTW, that "cooling" story you are referring to was from 2008. We were at the 'lul' of sunspots, which is a 11 year cycle of up's and downs.

The 'cooling' theory was based on a speculation that we were going to have a rather 'unusually long' lul of sunspots. They extrapolated that with less activity on the sun, the earth would experience a 'cooling'.

Well that was 3 fucking years ago, and wouldn't you know it? The sunspot trend is as it has been for a long time, a 11 year cycle.

[david222444]

Pure scarmongering propganda! remember rapture ? this is climatology's version of rapture. Believe it if you like.