In a speech at the U.N. climate summit in Poland today, Al Gore argued that older targets for reducing global-warming pollution are out of date, and that world leaders should aim to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million.
“Even a goal of 450 parts per million, which seems so difficult today, is inadequate,” said Gore.
The 350 goal was put forward by NASA climate scientist James Hansen in a paper earlier this year.
Bill McKibben, who started the group 350.org to promote that goal, issued a press release praising Gore’s remarks. “Our efforts reached a new level this afternoon, when Al Gore changed the decade-old goal for a new climate agreement,” said McKibben (who is also a Grist board member). “The world now has a new target, one that negotiators must figure out how to meet by next year in Copenhagen if those talks are to be a success.”
Video of Gore’s speech is here.
