Matthews, H. D. and Weaver, A. J. (2010) Committed climate warming. Nature Geoscience, 3 . pp. 142-143. DOI 10.1038/ngeo813.

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Abstract

Tue perception that future climate warming is inevitable stands at the centre of current climate-policy discussions. W e argue that the notion of unavoidable warming owing to inertia in the climate system is based on an incorrect interpretation of climate science. Stable atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases would lead to continued warming, but if carbon dioxide emissions could
be eliminated entirely, temperatures would quickly stabilize or even decrease over time. Future warming is therefore driven by socio-economic inertia, and is only as inevitable as future emissions. As a consequence, mitigation efforts to minimize future greenhouse-gas emissions can successfully restrict future warming to a level that may avoid dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. Tue challenge of climate mitigation, although daunting, is fully within the scope of human control.

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