What would happen if all the oil and coal reserves were burned?
As a result, all these greenhouse gases would generate almost five times the warming of the 2°C increase
An extreme scenario survey published in the magazine nature warned that if the world were to burn all fossil fuel reserves, life would become unbearable in the face of a potential increase of up to 9.5°C in global average temperature, compared to pre-industrial levels. The Arctic would heat up even more: 20°C to 2300.
Like the human body, the planet has its ideal temperature, but we humans have significantly interfered with the terrestrial thermometer through intensive consumption of fossil fuels. An increase of 9.5°C would trigger droughts, floods and infernal heat, making it difficult to survive in regions that already suffer from extreme events, informs an article by Vanessa Barbosa, from Exam.com.
According to the research, burning all proven reserves of oil, gas and coal would release the equivalent of 5 trillion tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere.
That number - which is about ten times the amount of carbon emitted since the beginning of the industrial age - would be reached by the end of the 22nd century, if we maintain current standards.
worst effects
As a result, all these greenhouse gases would generate warming almost five times greater than the 2°C increase, the threshold value defined in the Paris Agreement to avoid the worst effects of climate change.
According to the UN, for the world to have any chance of keeping global warming below 2°C by 2100, the total "budget" of carbon that can still be used, including what has already been burned, amounts to about 1 trillion of tons. In other words: two thirds of all reserves would need to remain buried.
Source: EcoD
