Some rough numbers to keep in mind Every living thing on Earth put together: 1 trillion tons All the stuff we’ve built or made: 1 trillion tons Total CO2 we emitted: 2.5 trillion tons
Can I ask a really dumb question?
that's disgusting.
This is also how we know biologic offsets aren't a means to address fossil fuel emissions even before we look at the construction of any particular offset program. The lithosphere has enough fossil fuels to release another 7.5 trillion tons of CO₂. Just to keep things in perspective.
Source for cumulative co2 (fossil + land) essd.copernicus.org/articles/12/...
Abstract. Accurate assessment of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and their redistribution among the atmosphere, ocean, and terrestrial biosphere in a changing climate – the “global carbon...
1.1 trillion tons of excess CO2 is still in the atmosphere which is why we're so cooked already (not to mention other GHGs). It's only the thermal inertia of the oceans & cryosphere which are stopping us being broiled right now. There's literally no way to remove the excess CO2 at scale.
This part is surprising. We have displaced much of the planets wildlife with our appetite for cheeseburgers with dire consequences for biodiversity and climate.
Well, the last one was accumulated over geological timescales..
(most annoying voice you ever heard) well it sounds like we actually made 3.5T tons of stuff