Global heating is an existential threat to humanity. As carbon dioxide pours into our atmosphere, temperatures increase, sea levels rise, diseases spread, food crops fail and so on.
The biggest carbon emissions come from fossil fuel burning and cement manufacturing. But without knowing how much fuel is burned and how much cement is made every day, it is tough to gauge the extent of the problem.
This lack of knowledge also affects important efforts to reduce emissions. Without an immediate way to assess their effectiveness, it is hard for climate scientists, industrialists, governments and policy makers to decide how best to act.
