From global mean temperatures to CO2 concentration and the carbon budget left to keep global warming "well below 2°C" - based on Ed Hawkin's viral Climate Spiral, Malte Meinshausen from Melbourne and Robert Gieseke from PIK developed a new cutting-edge set of climate spirals on global warming as a comprehensive addition to the climate spiral family.
The main point is that the temperatures do not spiral out of control, even though that is what it looks like, the scientists highlight: "We control those temperatures. The more fossil fuels we burn, the warmer it is going to get. Thus, we used the graphical language of the spirals to show that cause-effect chain from emissions to concentrations to temperatures. If we want to keep warming below a certain temperature level, like 1.5°C or 2°C, we need to keep the cumulative CO2 emissions in check. And yet, with ever bigger steps, we race towards trashing those carbon budget limits."
Weblink to the full Climate Spirals resources:
http://openclimatedata.net/climate-spirals/from-emissions-to-global-warming-line-chart/
More information and web animations on INDCs, Paris Agreement etc.:
http://www.pik-potsdam.de/primap-live/
Weblink to the Climate Spirals, Videos and further infos at the University of Melbourne:
http://www.climate-energy-college.net/more-climate-spirals
