New tool directly links carbon emissions to amount of environmental and economic damage caused
Carbon Impacts Tracer can be used to estimate climate impact from emissions across eight different factors, including lost food production The biggest coal project before authorities in New South Wales, the HVO mine , will emit the equivalent of about 809m tonnes of climate-warming carbon dioxide if it wins approval. That number, for most people, will carry little meaning, as might the…
A newly developed tool, known as the Carbon Impacts Tracer, establishes a direct link between carbon emissions and the tangible environmental and economic consequences. The software allows users to estimate the climate impact of emissions across eight distinct factors, including reduced food production. The HVO mine project, the largest coal development evaluated by authorities in New South Wales, is projected to release approximately 809 million tonnes of climate-warming carbon dioxide if granted approval.
While the numerical value of carbon emissions may appear insignificant to the general public, the tool provides a more relatable perspective. For instance, the emitted greenhouse gas would expose nearly half a million individuals to unprecedented heat levels, or result in the loss of around 15 million coral colonies on the Great Barrier Reef during each bleaching event.
These statistics are derived from the Carbon Impacts Tracer, a tool that translates fossil fuel combustion emissions into estimated real-world climate effects based on peer-reviewed scientific research. Prof Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick, a climate scientist at the Australian National University and a member of the team behind the tool, emphasizes that even seemingly small figures in global warming can lead to catastrophic impacts.
Written by urgent.news from The Guardian's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
