Record Concentrations Of Carbon dioxide Threaten Global Environment

Last 2014, the greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere broke the previous year’s record which is obvious in the much-felt climate change that is slowly destroying the planet.

As said by the World Meteorological Organization, the continuous and seems like unstoppable emissions of heat-trapping gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, and many more are endangering the planet further each day. The level of carbon dioxide has surpassed 400 parts per million – 50 PPM over what is considered a safe level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. In light of this climate revelation, Jarraud stated, “We will soon be living with globally averaged Carbon dioxide levels above 400 parts per million as a permanent reality”.

“Every year, we have been reporting that we are breaking new records”, said Jarraud.

The United Kingdom Met Office said greenhouse emissions have caused the world to warm to 1 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels this year. Currently, we have seen about 20 centimetres of global mean sea level rise since pre-industrial times and this is about one third of the level that could be seen by 2100 in a 2 °C world. It is an invisible threat, but a very real one. “This is happening now and we are moving into unchartered territory at a frightening speed”.

“Past, present and future emissions will have a cumulative impact on both global warming and ocean acidification”. Most of us have probably heard the anecdote about boiling a frog – put it in room-temperature water and gradually heat it up and the frog will not notice or try to escape, but put the frog in already hot water and he will immediately try to jump out.

The total warming effect from the combined increases of all these greenhouse gases has increased by 36 percent since 1990, the report states. Emissions represent what goes into the atmosphere while concentrations represent what remains in the atmosphere after the complex system of interactions between the atmosphere, biosphere, cryosphere and the oceans.

Greenhouses are released into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels such as oil, gas, and coal. During the Industrial Revolution, carbon levels only ever came as high as 280ppm. The WMO says the annual average “is likely to pass 400 ppm in 2016”.

Methane is the second most important long-lived greenhouse gas.

Levels of the other two major man-made greenhouse gases, methane and nitrous oxide, also continued a unrelenting annual rise in 2014, reaching 1,833 parts per billion (ppb) and 327.1 ppb, respectively.

Canada’s commitment for 2020, under the Copenhagen accord, is to reduce emissions 17 per cent from their 2005 level.

“This evidence shows us that the concentrations are increasing, and they are increasing with increasing rates”, said Oksana Tarasova, chief of the meteorological organization’s Atmospheric Environment Research Division. It also plays an important role in the destruction of the stratospheric ozone layer which protects us from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the Sunday. Water vapor changes are the so-called feedback mechanisms and happen as a response to the change in CO2.