Questions: What is the estimated legacy load of CO2 in the atmosphere?
100,000 gigatons
1,000 gigatons
100 gigatons
10,000 gigatons
Transcript text: What is the estimated legacy load of CO2 in the atmosphere?
100,000 gigatons
1,000 gigatons
100 gigatons
10,000 gigatons
Solution
The answer is the second one: 1,000 gigatons.
Explanation for each option:
100,000 gigatons: This is an unrealistically high estimate for the legacy load of CO2 in the atmosphere. Current scientific estimates do not support this figure.
1,000 gigatons: This is a reasonable estimate for the legacy load of CO2 in the atmosphere. It aligns with scientific assessments of the cumulative amount of CO2 emissions from human activities since the industrial revolution.
100 gigatons: This is too low to represent the legacy load of CO2 in the atmosphere, considering the historical emissions from fossil fuels and deforestation.
10,000 gigatons: This is also an unrealistically high estimate and does not match current scientific understanding of atmospheric CO2 levels.
In summary, the estimated legacy load of CO2 in the atmosphere is approximately 1,000 gigatons.