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CarbonTracker
 
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Overview (CT2007B)
Why do we need CarbonTracker?
Scientists' ability to predict future climate; states, counties, and cities ability to monitor their CO2 budget; and everyone's ability to make the best usage of resources given estimated risks STRONGLY depends on improving the understanding and quantification of CO2 sources and sinks.
longtermmeanflux longtermmeanfossilflux CarbonTracker can be used
  • to estimate the natural and human contributions to the Carbon Cycle at different scales
  • to better understand the variability of the natural Carbon Cycle

For example, in North America

  • the burning of fossil fuel results in the emission of close to 2x1015g of Carbon equivalent CO2 in the atmosphere.
  • CarbonTracker estimates that only one third of this CO2 is absorbed by the vegetation.

North America is therefore a net source of CO2 to the global atmosphere.

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