If theCO 2 emissionscontinue at the current rate until the end of the 21st century, atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases could reach levels between 30 and 100 million years ago, which would represent atemperature rise until reaching 31ºCon average on the planet. This is the conclusion of a study led by Jeffrey Kiehl, a researcher at the US National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), which is published in the journalScience.
With the burning of fossil fuels, atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide could reach 900 to 1,000 parts per million by the end of this century. Current levels are 390 parts per million and pre-industrial levels are about 280 parts per million. “If we do not start working seriously to reduce carbon emissions, we are putting the planet in a position that the human species has never experienced,” says Kiehl, a climate scientist who specializes in studying global climate during Earth’s geological past.“We will commit human civilization to living in a different world for several generations.”, Add.
Through the analysis of molecular structures in fossilized organic materials, researchers have concluded that it is “likely” that carbon dioxide levels reached levels of 900 to 1,000 parts per million 35 million years ago. The high levels of carbon dioxide in the ancient atmosphere kept the tropics between 5 and 10ºC above today’s temperatures, while the polar regions were between 15 and 20ºC above what the thermometers indicate today.
