Time-lapse history of human global CO2 emissions

Animated time-lapse video of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions in map form, spanning the 18th century until this current first decade of the 21st century. Shows the start in England and radiating to Europe, US and then Asia.

The video makes it easy to visualize the geographical distribution and trends in post industrial revolution anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions over 256 years.

Whether you are worried about the consequences of carbon pollution or a sceptic of global warming, you should take a look, since this data is based on recorded use of fossil fuels, gas flaring and cement production, but not land-use changes.

The majority of anthropogenic CO2 emissions are represented in this video by Robert W. Corkery using data from ORNL on a Nasa Blue Marble background image. Music copyright Robert W. Corkery 2007.

Postscript:
7 January 2010
This video is an updated version of the video originally appearing on Youtube at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqV-kx...

This version corrects an inadvertent clipping of the very highest emitting grid squares that occurred in the original video. It also makes a minor correction to the scale bar.

The changes make little difference to the incredible dynamics of the industrial revolution and its associated carbon emissions represented in the video formatted data from ORNL.

I am hoping folks at Youtube can help me update the original, as there is no mechanism for me to update this myself apparently.

• Category

  Science & Technology

[Chris Dart]

It is false to state that because CO2 is essential for plant growth that it is harmless. It is a straw man to claim that anyone is arguing for the elimination of CO2! The earth's climate is controlled by far more than just the sun and clouds. The composition of the atmosphere is critical in the amount of absorption and reflection of the sun's energy. Just because you can't believe that seemingly small changes can have huge results doesn't mean they won't.

[Chris Dart]

Geological evidence strongly indicates that these other sources of CO2 have held constant over the past 200 years. If you change the composition of the atmosphere changes in climate will result. The faster you change it the more unpredictable and unstable the results. The only part of the science where there is legitimate disagreement is what the models predict. It is all but certain that change will happen and it will probably be unpleasant for most of humanity.

[Mikeishere1st]

Sure, CO2 traps some of the IR coming from the surface thus slowing down the re-emission of heat back into space. True enough. But at the the top of the atmosphere, IR from the Sun is also trapped by CO2 and other GHG then re-radiated back OUT to space!

CO2 and other GHG are not a net warming agents at all - they are thermal stabilizing agents that block heat BOTH ways, in AND out. The more GHG there is, the MORE THERMAL STABILITY earth will enjoy.

[Mikeishere1st]

The fly in the ointment of the CO2 IR warming theory is that the alarmists have only shared the physics that examine the IR heating at BOTTOM of the atmosphere.

They failed to consider that the SAME THING applies to the the TOP of the atmosphere but in the REVERSE direction!

(cont'd)

[Mikeishere1st]

And at point in the timeline did human GHG output surpass that from termites? Soil microbes? How about the net CO2 into or out of the ocean as it cools and warms?

What you people want is for the unintiated to focus ONLY on the tiny amounts of any affect from humans and totally IGNORE the role of nature which is doing things orders of magnitude above anything we do whether it's CO2 or mercury or oil seeping from the ocean floor, etc.

[ac1dchr15t]

The United States probably wants that whole middle part of Africa to themselves. So much untapped oil, gold, and MONEY MONEY MONEY, and more space to kill.

[CuteStudio]

Lucky the 0.038% trace gas CO2 is totally harmless and essential for plant growth.

Without CO2 we'd all be dead through hunger.

The Sun and the Clouds control the earths climate, CO2 is an expensive red herring.

[checkyoursources]

great video!