Climate Change Finals – CO2: 392 Human Chances: 0

Congratulations! Your atmospheric levels of CO2 are at a million-year high!

Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Levels Rise to New Heights

1. The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere rose to an 800,000 year high of 392 ppm, a rise of about 3 ppm in 12 months, said Kim Holmen, research director at the Norwegian Polar Institute.

2. Holmen told Reuters the measurements were taken by a Stockholm University team on the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, northern Norway.

3. “Carbon dioxide concentrations are likely to have risen further in 2009, he said. They usually peak just before the start of spring in the northern hemisphere, where most of the world’s industry, cities and vegetation are concentrated.” Reuters reported.

4. The precision of analysis of the Law Dome ice core air samples [and other data] show that levels of carbon dioxide are the highest in at least 800,000 years, and up by about 41 percent since the Industrial Revolution [278 ppm.]

5. The CO2 rise is caused by “mainly fossil fuel burning and to some extent land use change, where you have forests being replaced by agricultural land,” Holmen said.

6. Although the latest data is from December 2008, Holmen said, the trend from the winter numbers are obvious.

7. Mauna Loa CO2 monthly mean data: January 2009: 386.92 ppm

Related Links:

• World CO2 Emissions
• FEWW CO2e Links
• Carbon Footprint of Your Dollar
• The Billionaires’ contribution to CO2 pollution

This post: 230 words, 7 paragraphs, 4 links