Carbon Dioxide Levels Reaches A Concerning Level

By Stephen M

Scientists have expressed worry about the high level of heat-trapping gasses like carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. According to them, carbon dioxide in the air reached a dangerous annual peak, 50% higher than the start of the industrial era. That aside, the average increase rate is rising faster than ever, a situation they say needs urgent attention.

Image courtesy of Roschetzky Photography / Shutterstock

As of May 2021, the average level of carbon dioxide reached 419.13 parts per million, according to statistics from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This figure is 1.82 parts per million higher than the same period in 2020. According to NOAA climate scientist Pieter Tans, the current situation is 50 percent higher than the pre-industrial levels of 280 parts per million.

Carbon Dioxide Peak

The carbon dioxide level in the atmosphere is said to peak every May. During the same period, plant life in the Northern Hemisphere starts. New plants spring up to absorb some of the carbon for growth. However, the impact is not that great compared to the amount of carbon discharged in the air through coal burning and other sources each day. As such, heat-trapping gases levels keep rising each year.

Many are of the view that climate change only increases the temperature. No, it does more than that. We’ve been experiencing extreme weather conditions, including floods, droughts, storms, wildfire, and delays in season, resulting from climate change. The rise in ocean levels causing catastrophes worldwide is all the reaping effects of climate change.

Climate change also has some health effects like heat deaths and pollen increase in the air that causes allergies.

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What Is The World Doing?

World leaders seem to be dragging their feet in adopting stringent measures to fight climate change caused by greenhouse gases. During the Paris agreement in 2015, countries agreed to keep climate change in check to minimize the impact. In October 2021, they met again at the COP 26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, the UK, to deliberate on the same issue. Countries expressed their commitment again but with different timelines.