Climate Could Be Stabilized With 70 Percent Cut in CO2, Study Finds

A 70 percent cut in greenhouse gas emissions by the end of this century could hold temperature increases to roughly 1 degree F above current levels and avoid the most dire consequences of continued warming, including widespread melting of polar ice caps. That’s the conclusion of an upcoming study by scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo., who said the 70 percent cut would stabilize atmospheric concentrations of CO2 at about 450 parts per million — roughly 17 percent higher than current levels. The study, to be published soon in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, says that a 70 percent reduction in emissions could cut projected Arctic warming in half, stabilizing the northern Bering Sea and reducing impacts on fisheries; hold shrinkage of Arctic Ocean ice to an additional 25 percent; reduce global heat wave intensity by half; and slow sea level rises. “We could stabilize the threat of climate change and avoid catastrophe,” said lead author Warren Washington.