1. Mitigation Wedge Images
Lesson Plan 7 – Day 1

2. Carbon Emissions & Stabilization
The orange line from 1955 to 2005 shows the actual emission rate for that time period.  The slope of the line indicates that emission rates increased over this period.  The black dashed line shows that if this trend continues, then by 2055, carbon dioxide concentration will be on a path to tripling the preindustrial level. The flat orange line starting in 2005 shows the carbon emission rate for each year remaining at 7 billion tons per year over the next 50 years.  However, this requires sacrifices to be made in terms of future growth in carbon emissions.  That is represented by the yellow stabilization triangle.  If the carbon emission rate stays constant, the amount of carbon equal to the yellow triangle cannot be emitted. Difficult choices must be made.

3. Carbon Emissions & Stabilization
This image is the same as the previous slide except for the declining blue line from 2005 to Maintaining a stable emissions rate at the 2005 level does not mean that the temperature will not change. In order to stop warming we must eliminate an even larger wedge as shown by the triangle that occupies the area between the solid orange line and the solid blue line. Carbon emissions equal to the 2005 rate will still lead to increasing carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere and further temperature increase. Concentrations, not just emissions, need to be stabilized to stop temperature increase.  That is why many people argue not for just maintaining the current level of emissions, but for decreasing them.  The dark blue line on the figure 2 represents decreased carbon emission rate.  To decrease emissions, even more carbon emissions must be eliminated represented by the larger yellow wedge.