The Bathtub Model and the Accelerating Imbalance of Atmospheric CO2
The bathtub model is a conceptual analogy for the Earth's atmospheric CO2 system. In this model, the total amount (stock) of CO2 is represented by the water level in the tub. Inflows, such as human emissions, act as the faucet, while outflows, like absorption by natural sinks, represent the drain. The current rapid increase in the atmospheric CO2 stock is due to a severe imbalance where inflows from human economic activity have overwhelmed the natural processes that once stabilized greenhouse gas levels. This imbalance is not static but is accelerating over time.
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The Economy 2.0 Microeconomics @ CORE Econ
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Dynamics ( systems )
Feedback loops
Definition of Flow (Systems)
The Bathtub Model and the Accelerating Imbalance of Atmospheric CO2
The Bathtub Analogy for Wealth, Gross Income, Saving, Consumption, and Depreciation
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Population as a Stock
Inventory as a Stock
Stock-Flow Diagram
Dynamics ( systems )
Feedback loops
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The Bathtub Model and the Accelerating Imbalance of Atmospheric CO2
Definition of Outflow (Systems)
Learn After
A bathtub's water level represents the total stock of a particular gas in the atmosphere. The inflow from a faucet represents all emissions of this gas, and the outflow through a drain represents its natural removal from the atmosphere. For many years, the inflow has been approximately double the rate of the outflow. To stabilize the gas's atmospheric stock (i.e., to stop the water level from rising), which of the following actions is the minimum necessary?
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Planetary Atmosphere Management Scenario
Imagine the atmosphere is a bathtub, where the water level represents the total amount (stock) of CO2. The faucet represents CO2 emissions (inflow), and the drain represents natural absorption (outflow). If the inflow from the faucet is currently twice as fast as the outflow from the drain, holding the inflow rate constant (i.e., stopping any further increase in emissions) will cause the water level to stabilize.
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Consider a bathtub where the water level represents the total stock of a pollutant in the atmosphere. The faucet represents the inflow of this pollutant from all sources, and the drain represents the outflow as the pollutant is removed by natural processes. Currently, the faucet is adding 10 units of water per year, while the drain is removing only 5 units per year. If a new policy successfully reduces the inflow to 7 units per year and this new rate is maintained, what will be the immediate effect on the water level in the tub?
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A global council aims to first stop the increase of a certain atmospheric gas and then reduce its total amount back to a previous, safer level. Using the 'bathtub' analogy where the water level is the gas's total amount (stock), the faucet is the emission rate (inflow), and the drain is the natural removal rate (outflow), arrange the following policy stages in the correct logical order to achieve this multi-stage goal.
Evaluating System Dynamics Arguments
CO2 Emissions as an Inflow to the Atmospheric CO2 Stock
Cause of Increasing Atmospheric CO2 Stock
Figure 2.19: The Bathtub Model of the Stock of Atmospheric CO2