Will we be able to reduce global temperatures and CO2 levels to combat climate change or will humanity instead adapt to the changes brought on by climate change instead.
To be more specific will CO2 levels reduce before 2075 and global temperatures reduce to below an increase of 1 degree or will we combat the affects of sea level rise droughts etc. through technology instead.
Combating climate change through either carbon capture or increasing global reflectivity etc (or other technological methods) is a separate option.
To be really clear about the options
1) climate change is reversed/reduced by reducing CO2 output and planting trees etc.
2) The bad affects of climate change (sea level rise etc.) are mitigated by technology but climate change is not necessarily combated.
3) Climate change is reduced but through technological means rather than reducing CO2 output and ecological restoration. Eg CO2 capture, cloud seeding, increasing planet reflectivity, solar shade etc.
Any number can be chosen since they are not mutually exclusive.
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seems pretty obvious we will do all of these things to some extent. the nut of the question is "to what extent?" -- limiting net warming to 1 °C below pre-industrial average, as you posit as a "specific" example, would entail reaching net-negative emissions in the comparatively near future (since we're already about one degree warmer than PIA)
@pyrylium Also, we may do all of the above and not reverse / adapt to climate change soon enough (i. e. before we reach 3° C PIA)
@JaimeSantaCruz Current carbon capture tech pales in comparison to our CO2 production
@crowlsyong yeah that's about right. I've seen anywhere from 1.1~1.4 °C cited depending on how it's defined / measured