Two new scientific papers report that global carbon dioxide emissions set a record high in 2011. With no coordinated effort underway to curb them, researchers believe crossing the 2 degree Celsius threshold for the worst impacts may be inevitable.
As delegates from nearly 200 nations meet in Doha, Qatar with a modest agenda of climate change discussions, Justin Gillis and John M. Broder report that "[e]missions continue to grow so rapidly that an international goal of limiting the ultimate warming of the planet to 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, established three years ago, is on the verge of becoming unattainable, said researchers affiliated with the Global Carbon Project."
"Josep G. Canadell, a scientist in Australia who leads that tracking program, said Sunday in a statement that salvaging the goal, if it can be done at all, 'requires an immediate, large and sustained global mitigation effort.'" Yet as recent international gatherings have shown, the world's countries have little desire to agree to such efforts.
Although emissions in some developed coutries are falling, owing to "a combination of economic weakness, the transfer of some manufacturing to developing countries and conscious efforts to limit emissions," new figues show that, "the decline of emissions in the developed countries is more than matched by continued growth in developing countries like China and India."
If you need any more reason to be pessimistic about the fate of the planet, the Institute of Physics revealed last week that the seas are rising 60 percent faster than expected, reports Philip Bump.
FULL STORY: With Carbon Dioxide Emissions at Record High, Worries on How to Slow Warming

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.

San Diego Votes to Rein in “Towering” ADUs
City council voted to limit the number of units in accessory buildings to six — after confronting backyard developments of up to 100 units behind a single family home.

Texas Legislature’s Surprising Pro-Housing Swing
Smaller homes on smaller lots, office to apartment conversions, and 40% less say for NIMBYs, vote state lawmakers.

Even Edmonton Wants Single Staircase Buildings
Canada's second most affordable major city joins those angling to nix the requirement for two staircases in multi-family buildings.
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