The global “pause” has been running for nearly 19 years. But a whopping 30% of all the human emissions of fossil fuels, ever, has come out since the year 2000. Nearly 40% of all our emissions since 1990.
All that CO2, and nothing to show for it. Half of all human emissions of “carbon pollution” have occurred since 1987.
…
Here’s your handy reckoning table for human emissions from 1751 – 2014. (I know you’ve been waiting for it). Next time you need to know what percentage of the total human emissions of CO2 has been emitted since, say, Ash Wednesday, Cyclone Tracy, or Napoleon, or whatever, this is the table you need. When we hear that it’s the warmest summer since 1939, this table tells us what the CO2 levels were in 1939.
Year | Law Dome* | Cumulative % of Emissions^ | Year | Law Dome* | Cumulative % of Emissions^ | Year | Law Dome* | Cumulative % of Emissions^ | Year | Law Dome* | Cumulative % of Emissions^ | |||
ppm | % | ppm | % | ppm | % | ppm | % | |||||||
1751 | 277 | 0.0 | 1818 | 284 | 0.1 | 1884 | 291 | 1.5 | 1950 | 311 | 15.4 | |||
1752 | 277 | 0.0 | 1819 | 284 | 0.1 | 1885 | 291 | 1.6 | 1951 | 312 | 15.9 | |||
1753 | 277 | 0.0 | 1820 | 283 | 0.1 | 1886 | 291 | 1.7 | 1952 | 312 | 16.3 | |||
1754 | 277 | 0.0 | 1821 | 283 | 0.1 | 1887 | 292 | 1.7 | 1953 | 312 | 16.8 | |||
1755 | 277 | 0.0 | 1822 | 283 | 0.1 | 1888 | 292 | 1.8 | 1954 | 313 | 17.2 | |||
1756 | 277 | 0.0 | 1823 | 283 | 0.1 | 1889 | 293 | 1.9 | 1955 | 314 | 17.7 | |||
1757 | 277 | 0.0 | 1824 | 283 | 0.1 | 1890 | 293 | 2.0 | 1956 | 314 | 18.3 | |||
1758 | 277 | 0.0 | 1825 | 283 | 0.1 | 1891 | 294 | 2.1 | 1957 | 315 | 18.8 | |||
1759 | 277 | 0.0 | 1826 | 283 | 0.1 | 1892 | 294 | 2.2 | 1958 | 315 | 19.4 | |||
1760 | 277 | 0.0 | 1827 | 283 | 0.1 | 1893 | 295 | 2.3 | 1959 | 316 | 20.0 | |||
1761 | 277 | 0.0 | 1828 | 284 | 0.1 | 1894 | 295 | 2.4 | 1960 | 316 | 20.6 | |||
1762 | 277 | 0.0 | 1829 | 284 | 0.1 | 1895 | 296 | 2.5 | 1961 | 317 | 21.3 | |||
1763 | 277 | 0.0 | 1830 | 284 | 0.1 | 1896 | 296 | 2.6 | 1962 | 317 | 21.9 | |||
1764 | 277 | 0.0 | 1831 | 284 | 0.2 | 1897 | 296 | 2.7 | 1963 | 318 | 22.6 | |||
1765 | 277 | 0.0 | 1832 | 284 | 0.2 | 1898 | 296 | 2.8 | 1964 | 318 | 23.4 | |||
1766 | 277 | 0.0 | 1833 | 284 | 0.2 | 1899 | 296 | 2.9 | 1965 | 319 | 24.2 | |||
1767 | 277 | 0.0 | 1834 | 284 | 0.2 | 1900 | 296 | 3.0 | 1966 | 320 | 25.0 | |||
1768 | 277 | 0.0 | 1835 | 284 | 0.2 | 1901 | 296 | 3.2 | 1967 | 321 | 25.8 | |||
1769 | 277 | 0.0 | 1836 | 284 | 0.2 | 1902 | 296 | 3.3 | 1968 | 322 | 26.7 | |||
1770 | 277 | 0.0 | 1837 | 284 | 0.2 | 1903 | 297 | 3.5 | 1969 | 323 | 27.6 | |||
1771 | 277 | 0.0 | 1838 | 284 | 0.2 | 1904 | 297 | 3.6 | 1970 | 324 | 28.6 | |||
1772 | 278 | 0.0 | 1839 | 284 | 0.2 | 1905 | 297 | 3.8 | 1971 | 325 | 29.7 | |||
1773 | 278 | 0.0 | 1840 | 284 | 0.2 | 1906 | 298 | 4.0 | 1972 | 326 | 30.8 | |||
1774 | 278 | 0.0 | 1841 | 284 | 0.2 | 1907 | 298 | 4.2 | 1973 | 327 | 31.9 | |||
1775 | 278 | 0.0 | 1842 | 285 | 0.2 | 1908 | 299 | 4.3 | 1974 | 329 | 33.0 | |||
1776 | 278 | 0.0 | 1843 | 285 | 0.2 | 1909 | 299 | 4.5 | 1975 | 330 | 34.2 | |||
1777 | 278 | 0.0 | 1844 | 286 | 0.3 | 1910 | 299 | 4.7 | 1976 | 331 | 35.4 | |||
1778 | 278 | 0.0 | 1845 | 286 | 0.3 | 1911 | 300 | 4.9 | 1977 | 332 | 36.6 | |||
1779 | 278 | 0.0 | 1846 | 286 | 0.3 | 1912 | 300 | 5.2 | 1978 | 333 | 37.9 | |||
1780 | 278 | 0.0 | 1847 | 287 | 0.3 | 1913 | 300 | 5.4 | 1979 | 335 | 39.2 | |||
1781 | 278 | 0.0 | 1848 | 287 | 0.3 | 1914 | 301 | 5.6 | 1980 | 336 | 40.5 | |||
1782 | 278 | 0.0 | 1849 | 287 | 0.3 | 1915 | 301 | 5.8 | 1981 | 337 | 41.8 | |||
1783 | 278 | 0.0 | 1850 | 287 | 0.3 | 1916 | 302 | 6.0 | 1982 | 339 | 43.1 | |||
1784 | 278 | 0.0 | 1851 | 287 | 0.3 | 1917 | 302 | 6.3 | 1983 | 340 | 44.3 | |||
1785 | 279 | 0.0 | 1852 | 287 | 0.4 | 1918 | 303 | 6.5 | 1984 | 342 | 45.6 | |||
1786 | 279 | 0.0 | 1853 | 287 | 0.4 | 1919 | 303 | 6.7 | 1985 | 343 | 47.0 | |||
1787 | 279 | 0.0 | 1854 | 287 | 0.4 | 1920 | 303 | 6.9 | 1986 | 345 | 48.4 | |||
1788 | 279 | 0.0 | 1855 | 286 | 0.4 | 1921 | 304 | 7.1 | 1987 | 346 | 49.8 | |||
1789 | 280 | 0.0 | 1856 | 286 | 0.4 | 1922 | 304 | 7.3 | 1988 | 348 | 51.3 | |||
1790 | 280 | 0.0 | 1857 | 286 | 0.4 | 1923 | 304 | 7.6 | 1989 | 349 | 52.8 | |||
1791 | 280 | 0.0 | 1858 | 286 | 0.5 | 1924 | 304 | 7.8 | 1990 | 351 | 54.3 | |||
1792 | 281 | 0.0 | 1859 | 286 | 0.5 | 1925 | 305 | 8.1 | 1991 | 352 | 55.8 | |||
1793 | 281 | 0.0 | 1860 | 286 | 0.5 | 1926 | 305 | 8.3 | 1992 | 354 | 57.4 | |||
1794 | 281 | 0.0 | 1861 | 286 | 0.5 | 1927 | 305 | 8.6 | 1993 | 355 | 58.9 | |||
1795 | 281 | 0.0 | 1862 | 286 | 0.5 | 1928 | 306 | 8.8 | 1994 | 356 | 60.4 | |||
1796 | 282 | 0.0 | 1863 | 286 | 0.6 | 1929 | 306 | 9.1 | 1995 | 358 | 62.0 | |||
1797 | 282 | 0.0 | 1864 | 286 | 0.6 | 1930 | 307 | 9.4 | 1996 | 360 | 63.7 | |||
1798 | 282 | 0.0 | 1865 | 286 | 0.6 | 1931 | 307 | 9.6 | 1997 | 361 | 65.3 | |||
1799 | 282 | 0.1 | 1866 | 287 | 0.7 | 1932 | 307 | 9.8 | 1998 | 363 | 66.9 | |||
1800 | 283 | 0.1 | 1867 | 287 | 0.7 | 1933 | 308 | 10.0 | 1999 | 365 | 68.6 | |||
1801 | 283 | 0.1 | 1868 | 287 | 0.7 | 1934 | 308 | 10.3 | 2000 | 367 | 70.2 | |||
1802 | 283 | 0.1 | 1869 | 288 | 0.8 | 1935 | 308 | 10.5 | 2001 | 369 | 72.0 | |||
1803 | 283 | 0.1 | 1870 | 288 | 0.8 | 1936 | 309 | 10.8 | 2002 | 371 | 73.7 | |||
1804 | 283 | 0.1 | 1871 | 288 | 0.8 | 1937 | 309 | 11.1 | 2003 | 373 | 75.5 | |||
1805 | 284 | 0.1 | 1872 | 289 | 0.9 | 1938 | 310 | 11.4 | 2004 | 375 | 77.4 | |||
1806 | 284 | 0.1 | 1873 | 289 | 0.9 | 1939 | 310 | 11.7 | 2005 | 377 | 79.4 | |||
1807 | 284 | 0.1 | 1874 | 289 | 1.0 | 1940 | 311 | 12.0 | 2006 | 379 | 81.5 | |||
1808 | 284 | 0.1 | 1875 | 290 | 1.0 | 1941 | 311 | 12.3 | 2007 | 381 | 83.6 | |||
1809 | 284 | 0.1 | 1876 | 290 | 1.1 | 1942 | 311 | 12.7 | 2008 | 383 | 85.8 | |||
1810 | 284 | 0.1 | 1877 | 290 | 1.1 | 1943 | 311 | 13.0 | 2009 | 384 | 88.0 | |||
1811 | 284 | 0.1 | 1878 | 290 | 1.2 | 1944 | 311 | 13.4 | 2010 | 387 | 90.3 | |||
1812 | 284 | 0.1 | 1879 | 290 | 1.2 | 1945 | 311 | 13.6 | 2011 | 389 | 92.6 | |||
1813 | 284 | 0.1 | 1880 | 290 | 1.3 | 1946 | 311 | 14.0 | 2012 | 391 | 95.0 | |||
1814 | 284 | 0.1 | 1881 | 290 | 1.3 | 1947 | 311 | 14.3 | 2013 | 394 | 97.5 | |||
1815 | 284 | 0.1 | 1882 | 290 | 1.4 | 1948 | 311 | 14.7 | 2014 | 396 | 100.0 | |||
1816 | 284 | 0.1 | 1883 | 290 | 1.5 | 1949 | 311 | 15.0 | ||||||
1817 | 284 | 0.1 |
* The CO2 level at Law Dome in ppm to 2004 (when the series ends), then the CO2 level at Mauna Loa (which begins in 1959) less 2.85 ppm (the average difference between Maunu Loa and Law Dome for 1995 – 2004, from 2005 on).
^ From the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC), in the US Department of Energy (DOE), who give total estimated human emissions from fossil fuel consumption and cement production (does not include land clearing, which is likely less than 10% of the CDIAC emissions).
ERRATA Feb 2: The graph erroneously showed the beginning of the “50%” range as in the 1970’s when it should have been 1987. Corrected. – Jo