Carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere reaches record high, researchers say

[SpankMe]

Source: nbcnews.com

The concentration of carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere has reached a record high, according to a report released Monday by the World Meteorological Organization.

In 2018, global average concentrations of the greenhouse gas, which is a byproduct of burning fossil fuels, reached 407.8 parts per million, which means for every 1 million molecules of gas in the atmosphere, nearly 408 were carbon dioxide. This level is up from the global average of 405.5 parts per million in 2017. The findings follow a trend that shows the planet is continuing to warm at an alarming pace.

The level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has risen sharply as a result of human activities, with the 2018 global average representing a 147 percent increase over the pre-industrial level in 1750, according to the WMO.

“It is worth recalling that the last time the Earth experienced a comparable concentration of CO2 was 3-5 million years ago,” he said of the 407.8 parts per million milestone. “Back then, the temperature was 2-3 [degrees Celsius] warmer, sea level was 10-20 meters higher than now.”

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/carbon-dioxide-earth-s-atmosphere-reaches-record-high-researchers-say-n1090356

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It's time to criminalize climate change denial activism.

[LeftTurn3623]

1. Like Warren said -

nothing will be done until corruption (money) is removed from politics.

[roamer65]

2. Eventually we will get to late Cretaceous levels.

66 mya the CO2 level was about 1000-1500ppm and sea levels were 300 feet higher. There were no polar ice caps.

Those levels will also make people dumber. There should be a corresponding 20-40 pct reduction in cognitive abilities.

Population reduction needs to happen.

[bucolic_frolic]

3. I don't believe we'll ever confront it in a meaningful way

Lowered oxygen levels will thin the herd. That will make a difference.

[truthisfreedom]

6. Lowered oxygen levels? We're in no danger of losing oxygen.

That’s no problem. 408 ppm of CO2 translates to .041% CO2, and oxygen is at 21%. If you burned everything flammable on earth that 21% would barely change, but the CO2 could go up dramatically... yet it would remain merely a fraction of a percent. The problem is the greenhouse effect which gets worse even if we slightly increase that tiny quantity of CO2. Its like drops of poison in a glass of water. One drop you may survive, but each little drop pushes you closer to the brink, yet the glass of water is just about as pure looking as before and the water’s still all there.

[roamer65]

7. Actually oxygen levels are dropping.

When we hack down forests and poison the oceans, things like that happen.

[bucolic_frolic]

8. Tell it to the cities confronting ozone

[hatrack]

9. Unfortunately, we are in danger of losing oxygen . . .

We think the Earth's forests provide most of the oxygen in the atmosphere. They don't. Far and away the biggest source of oxygen is plankton - between 50% and 85% of atmospheric oxygen comes from phytoplankton.

https://earthsky.org/earth/how-much-do-oceans-add-to-worlds-oxygen

As oceans acidify, phytoplankton ecology is disrupted, with some species flourishing, some collapsing or dying out, and many species migrating. "Upheaval" is how the MIT study linked below described the process:

http://news.mit.edu/2015/ocean-acidification-phytoplankton-0720

Beyond that, one study suggests that 6C increase in ocean temps could be enough to stop oxygen production, with all that eventuality implies:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/12/151201094120.htm

[Pluvious]

4. We should start calling them what they are...

Human Extinction Advocates

[roamer65]

5. The planet will be better without us.

The human race deserves extinction.

Look at all of the death and destruction we have caused over our sordid history.

[Pluvious]

12. Sadly, we are quite the dysfunctional species

Which is why we're so "successful" at expanding and conquering our dominion.

I've often thought we'd behave quite differently if we were longer lived, particularly with respect to the health and future of our precious Planet.

[roamer65]

13. Humans are very similar to viruses.

Sad, but true.

[The_jackalope]

10. We see the world as a socioeconomic rather than a biophysical system

As a habitat for humanity rather than a home for all life.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1127133917

[jgmiller]

11. That's an excellent point

For most of human existence it was about survival but dealing with the world around us and even if it was crude making sure there was a way to survive. Now that we have "mastered" nature we don't think about survival anymore and instead what we can do for ourselves as individuals.

[roamer65]

14. It will be good if we get to 500 ppm faster.

People only react when issues become major crises.

500 ppm or bust!

[hatrack]

15. We're already at about 490 CO2E . . .

Last edited Wed Nov 27, 2019, 10:00 AM - Edit history (1)

CO2E is a proxy value for the heating potential contained in all the CO2 (and methane and nitrous oxide and sulfur hexaflouride and CFC and HFC and all the rest) that are out there blowing around in the atmosphere.

So your wish will come true sooner than you might have imagined - maybe next year!!

[roamer65]

16. I have not heard of that calculation.

Wow. No wonder we are seeing the climate crisis accelerate so rapidly.



Very educational. Thank you.

[hatrack]

17. Here's the NOAA link for CO2E (You'll need to scroll down)

The ESRL site is great for all kinds of information - current and historical data, explanation of the global trace gas monitoring network, lots of other cool stuff.

https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/aggi/