LAUSR

Abstract Harde (2017) proposes an alternative accounting scheme for the modern carbon cycle and concludes that only 4.3% of today's atmospheric CO 2 is a result of anthropogenic emissions. As we will show, this alternative scheme is too simple, is based on invalid assumptions, and does not address many of the key processes involved in the global carbon cycle that are important on the timescale of interest. Harde (2017) therefore reaches an incorrect conclusion about the role of anthropogenic CO 2 emissions. Harde (2017) tries to explain changes in atmospheric CO 2 concentration with a single equation, while the most simple model of the carbon cycle must at minimum contain equations of at least two reservoirs (the atmosphere and the surface ocean), which are solved simultaneously. A single equation is fundamentally at odds with basic theory and observations. In the following we will (i) clarify the difference between CO 2 atmospheric residence time and adjustment time, (ii) present recently published information about anthropogenic carbon, (iii) present details about the processes that are missing in Harde (2017) , (iv) briefly discuss shortcoming in Harde's generalization to paleo timescales, (v) and comment on deficiencies in some of the literature cited in Harde (2017) .