The CO₂ level in the atmosphere was 417.06 ppm last year. This is shown by the figures for 2022 presented by NOAA in the USA. Estimates are that before CO₂ emissions began in full at the end of the 19th century, there was 278 ppm CO₂ in the atmosphere. Thus, for the first time, the concentration of CO₂ is more than 50 per cent higher than it was in pre-industrial times. – 50 per cent more than pre-industrial times is to some extent an artificial milestone, but it is nevertheless a very important milestone, says climate researcher at Cicero, Bjørn Samset. CO₂ levels increased by 2.13 ppm in 2022. That is the fourth highest increase ever. – These measurements are the reality that gives us a small slap in the face, says Samset. The past eleven years have all had ppm increases above 2.0, some not seen in the 65 years that NOAA has been taking measurements. – It is the next step in a very dramatic development that we have seen over a long time; there are more greenhouse gases with every passing year, says Samset. CO₂ in the atmosphere measured in parts per million particles (ppm)460 parts per million particles (ppm)? Click for an explanation of parts per million, abbreviated ppmGo to news’s Climate Status Why is the graph so wavy? This is about seasons. In summer, the amount of CO₂ decreases because plants and trees absorb CO₂ from the air. In winter, the plants die, the CO₂ escapes and the graph rises. Since there are more plants and trees in the northern hemisphere, the seasons here control the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere. What is the problem with a lot of CO₂ in the atmosphere? The greenhouse effect makes the earth livable, but more greenhouse gases, such as CO₂, increase this effect and make the earth warmer . The graph starts in 1960 because this was the year when the world began to measure CO₂ systematically. It happened on Mauna Loa in Hawaii and the curve shows the measurements from there. Before the world became industrialized there was around 280 ppm CO₂ in the atmosphere (year 1700). The researchers found that out by analyzing ice core samples. Will there be less CO₂ in the atmosphere if emissions are cut? No, not immediately. If we cut emissions, the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere will only increase more slowly. The reduction in emissions must be large and last for a long time before we can see an effect. Imagine that the atmosphere is a bathtub and the greenhouse gases are the water you fill in. Even if you turn off the tap, the bathtub will not run out of water. This is the case with greenhouse gases and CO₂. It takes a long time for CO₂ to break down in the atmosphere. This is the reason why the experts want technology that sucks out greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, in addition to us cutting emissions. The world’s politicians have decided that they will try to limit the warming of the world to 1.5 degrees, compared to how the temperature was before the industrial revolution. Then we must keep the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere below 430 ppm, according to the UN’s climate panel. Strong methane increase The amount of methane in the atmosphere also increased sharply in 2022 and reached new levels. Methane is a more powerful greenhouse gas than CO₂, but breaks down and disappears much faster. Last year’s increase in methane emissions was the fourth highest ever. It comes after new records were set in 2020 and 2021. The concentration of methane in the atmosphere is now two and a half times higher than in pre-industrial times. Methane comes, among other things, from waste that is burned, such as at this garbage dump in India’s capital, New Delhi. Photo: Manish Swarup / AP Don’t know where the methane comes from During the climate summit in Egypt, around 150 countries promised to cut emissions of methane. Because methane is a particularly powerful greenhouse gas, it will be a quick way to reduce emissions. One problem is that the researchers do not have an overview of where all the emissions are coming from. This is in contrast to CO₂, where there is a good overview. – For methane, we are not quite sure why the concentration rises as sharply as it does, says Samset. A good proportion of the emissions are known. They come from wetlands around the world, they come from livestock and they come from rotting waste. – When we add all that up and look at how much nature takes up, the increase in methane should really have been a little lower. So there is something here that we have not fully understood, says Samset. A hungry and emaciated polar bear wandered around the industrial city of Norilsk in Siberia in June 2019, far south of its natural habitat. Experts say that the polar bear’s natural habitats have decreased as a result of climate change. Photo: IRINA YARINSKAYA / AFP The sea level was 23 meters higher – There is an extremely large amount of greenhouse gases now in the atmosphere compared to what it was. Far, far beyond anything we humans have seen throughout our entire existence as a species, says Samset. – It is caused by us. It has gone very, very fast and we know from past climates how dramatically different the conditions were the last time there were such large amounts of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, he adds. – The climate on earth has been through many phases and there are many factors that influence it. But the greenhouse gases are a very important part. They are the blanket that surrounds the earth and makes it a livable climate. says Bjørn Samset. Photo: Ismail Burak Akkan / news NOAA writes that the concentration of CO₂ in the atmosphere is now as high as it was in the Pliocene epoch around 4.3 million years ago. At that time the temperature was almost 4 degrees warmer than today and the sea level approximately 23 meters higher. Samset says that even if the conditions will not be the same as they were many millions of years ago, it is a pointer to how big changes we can now expect. – They are in the pipeline as a result of the changes we have already made in the amount of greenhouse gases. If we fail to get control over them, he says.
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New figures show that CO₂ in the atmosphere passed a dramatic limit last year – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
