NOAA – CO2 emissions officially exceed safe global limit
According to the IPCC, if we want to fend off the more dangerous consequences of climate change, we need to watch how much CO2 we emit into the atmosphere. The accepted concentration that will keep our planet within the range of habitability is 350 parts per million (ppm.) For the first time in recorded human history, the average global atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration blew past 400 ppm at every monitoring station currently collecting data around the world.
Combining measurements from over 40 locations, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced Wednesday that the heat-trapping greenhouse gas had surpassed the 400 ppm milestone. NOAA scientists said that this landmark has long been expected, citing the carbon emissions coming primarily from industrial nations like the United States, China, and India. According to Pieter Tans, the lead scientist of NOAA’s Global Greenhouse Gas Reference Network, “It was only a matter of time.”
