David Ho

David Ho

6 months ago • •

David Ho
6 months ago • •

If you think climate change has gotten worse during your lifetime, you're right and there's a good reason.

If you're Gen X like me, more than 3/4 of fossil fuel CO₂ emissions have occurred in your lifetime. Even if you're a Millennial, it's at least half.

📊: @neilrkaye

A horizontal bar chart titled "Percentage of Global fossil fuel emissions (since 1751) occurring in my lifetime." The chart shows how much of the total historical global fossil fuel emissions have occurred within the lifetime of individuals of different ages, from 5 to 100 years old. The vertical axis on the left lists ages in increments of 5 years, from age 5 at the top to age 100 at the bottom. The horizontal axis represents the percentage of fossil fuel emissions, marked in 10% increments from 10% to 90%.

The black bars represent the proportion of fossil fuel emissions that have occurred during each age group's lifetime. The bars increase in length as the age increases, meaning older individuals have lived through a larger percentage of the cumulative emissions since 1751.

Three specific age groups are highlighted with red bars and white text annotations:

Age 30: "if you are 30 it is more than 50%"

Age 50: "if you are 50 it is about 75%"

Age 85: "if you are 85 it is about 90%"

The source of the data is cited at the bottom: "CDIAC and globalcarbonproject.org." The graphic is credited to "@neilrkaye."

@Neil Kaye

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in reply to David Ho

Misha

in reply to David Ho • 6 months ago • •

@steverocky @allanb @obscurestar @publius

A while ago I wrote a little piece about that graph. It's a very powerful one, but therefore I believe we have to start using a more future-proof version of it:

mishathings.org/posts/2024-08-…

How much CO2 has been emitted in my lifetime?

(To go straight to the customizable online version of the new graph, click here. But note that 1. it doesn’t work that well on a phone, and 2. it is running on my own server, so it might be a bit slow.

^{mishathings.org}

@publius @obscurestar @[empty] @Steph Roccia (Sinjoro)

in reply to David Ho

But that does not prove that the Gen X or Millennials are the cause and I think you mean the increase in emissions not the total emissions. For example the chart shows that in 1771 there were zero CO2 which is just nonsense.

in reply to Steph Roccia (Sinjoro)

Misha

in reply to Steph Roccia (Sinjoro) • 6 months ago • •

@steverocky
He means total emissions, since 1751. Because that is what the graph says.

Because it is total emissions since 1751, it starts at zero in 1751.

The graph does not say anything about causes. Nor does @davidho for that matter.

It does however, say something about what has happened in whose lifetime.

@Steph Roccia (Sinjoro) @David Ho

Unknown parent

Misha

Unknown parent • 6 months ago • •

@steverocky

See my previous comment.

There is a lot of deception happening in this world, but this graph is not part of that.

@Steph Roccia (Sinjoro)

Unknown parent

Misha

Unknown parent • 6 months ago • •

@steverocky

Did you read my other comment?

The graph shows total, cumulative emissions *since 1750*. That is why it starts at zero in 1750.

@Steph Roccia (Sinjoro)

Unknown parent

Misha

Unknown parent • 6 months ago • •

Yes, some fossil-based CO2 has been emitted before 1750.

That is why the graph takes 1750 as a starting point.

It *starts* counting from 1750 onwards.

So if you add up all CO2 emitted from 1750 until now you get a certain amount of CO2.

And then a certain percentage of that total is emitted in your life time.

That is what the graph shows.

This entry was edited (6 months ago)

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