The carbon-climate-human system
The carbon cycle is closely linked to the climate system and is influenced by the growing human population and associated demands for resources, especially for fossil-fuel energy and land. The rate of change in atmospheric CO2 reflects the balance between carbon emissions from human activities and the dynamics of a number of terrestrial and ocean processes that remove or emit CO2. The long-term evolution of this balance will largely determine the speed and magnitude of humaninduced climate change and the mitigation requirements to stabilize atmospheric CO2 concentrations at any given level.
UNESCO-SCOPE-UNEP
Policy Briefs Series.
The Global Carbon Cycle - 2
November 2009.
UNESCO-SCOPE-UNEP, Paris.
Authors:
Canadell JG, Ciais P, Dhakal S,
Le Quéré C, Patwardhan A,
Raupach MR.
Editor: A. Persic
Design: I. Fabbri
Contacts :
n SCOPE Secretariat
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n UNESCO, SC/EES
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n UNEP
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Printed in November 2009
by ITC Grigny
ISSN 1998-0477
