REMINISCING ON THE USE AND ABUSE OF ¹⁴C AND ¹³C IN ATMOSPHERIC CO₂

We are observing a dramatic increase of CO2 in the atmosphere, unprecedented in the last several million years. Carbon isotopic ratios have been very useful in helping to untangle the respective roles of anthropogenic emissions and sources/sinks of CO2 in the oceans or terrestrial biosphere. However, this untangling has not been as simple as was often hoped. The isotope ratio signatures produced by emissions and removals that are present in atmospheric CO2 are always vigorously being erased by isotopic exchange with the oceans and terrestrial ecosystems, without there necessarily being any effect on total CO2. Especially in the last decades this pure isotopic exchange effect has led to gross errors that have clouded the public debate on climate change, obscuring mankind’s role. This paper traces my own struggle with the scientific and public sides of this issue, which I ran into from the start of my career in Groningen and throughout my years at NOAA. It is still relevant today.