The most recent data from the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has shown a sharp rise in global levels of carbon dioxide (CO2 ). During the month of April 2020, the average concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere was 416.21 parts per million (ppm), the highest since measurements began in 1958.
In May, the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii recorded a seasonal peak in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) of 417.1 parts per million (ppm), the highest monthly atmospheric CO2 reading ever recorded, 2.4ppm higher than the peak of 2019 and despite COVID-19.
The economic recession of the coronavirus pandemic may have caused a sudden drop in global greenhouse gas emissions, but its actual presence in the air is only rising, reaching this sad record. Although CO2 levels exhibit a seasonal cycle, the general upward trend is clear.
Annual growth in CO2 level averaged 0.8 ppm in the 1960s, 1.6 ppm in the 1980s, and 2.0 ppm in the 2000s. Over the past decade, the annual average has increased from 2.4 ppm. The causes, without discussion, are man-made emissions from energy production, transportation, and industry.
“Progress in reducing emissions is not visible in the CO2 log,” said Pieter Tans, senior scientist at NOAA’s Global Monitoring Laboratory, in a statement. “We continue to compromise our planet, for centuries or more, with more global warming, rising sea levels and extreme weather events each year.”
And global attempts to curb emissions so far have been quite limited.
Despite the coronavirus pandemic
Because the global COVID-19 pandemic caused a global economic downturn in all sectors, daily emissions in most human sectors were much smaller in 2020. This is not currently reflected in the Mauna Loa Observatory measurement. And it may not make any difference globally. While the reduction was dramatic in March, April and May, it is not a long-term trend, and with lockdown measures easing in attempts to restart economies around the world, it is unlikely to take place. .
“People may be surprised to hear that the response to the coronavirus outbreak has done rather little to influence CO2 levels,” said geochemist Ralph Keeling, who runs the Scripps Oceanography program on Mauna Loa. “But the accumulation of CO2 is a bit like garbage in a landfill. As we keep broadcasting, it keeps piling up. The crisis has slowed emissions, but not enough to represent a noticeable change. What will matter much more is the path we take out of this situation. “
Recall that molecules of CO2, a global warming agent, can remain in the atmosphere for up to 1,000 years and, because atmospheric levels of CO2 are cumulative, they will continue to increase until net emissions are reduced to zero.
Scientists warn that if we continue down this path, we will reach 450 ppm by mid-century.
Source: NOAA
