In a provocative new study, a University of Utah scientist argues that rising carbon dioxide emissions – the major cause of global warming – cannot be stabilized unless the world’s economy collapses or society builds the equivalent of one new nuclear power plant each day. ‘It looks unlikely that there will be any substantial near-term departure from recently observed acceleration in carbon dioxide emission rates, says the new paper by Tim Garrett, an associate professor of atmospheric sciences. Garrett’s study was panned by some economists and rejected by several journals before acceptance by Climatic Change, a journal edited by renowned Stanford University climate scientist Stephen Schneider. The study will be published online this week. The study – which is based on the concept that physics can be used to characterize the evolution of civilization – indicates: — Energy conservation or efficiency doesn’t really save energy, but instead spurs economic growth and accelerated energy consumption. — Throughout history, a simple physical ‘constant – an unchanging mathematical value – links global energy use to the world’s accumulated economic productivity, adjusted for inflation. So it isn’t necessary to consider population growth and standard of living in predicting society’s […]