Scientists have announced that the levels of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere have hit the highest point in human history. CO2 levels have broken the 400 parts-per-million (ppm) boundary for the first time, reports mirror.co.uk.
The levels are measured at the top of the Mauna Loa observatory on top of a volcano in Hawaii.
This high point means for every million molecules in the atmosphere, 400 of them are carbon dioxide. Though numerically it might not sound like a lot — experts are actually very worried about the implications.
The experts say that it is highly unlikely that levels will go back under this point in our lifetime. It was always predicted but then it serves us a reminder of the growing threat from climate change.
The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has predicted that once we go over the 450 ppm threshold it could be catastrophic as it would contribute to warming the planet by two degrees and cause unpredicted shifts in weather patterns on Earth.
Scientists have predicted that if humans don’t cut emissions by 40-70 per cent we are going to break the 450 ppm mark within twenty years. And now as we have already broken through the 400 ppm level this year, it is likely to come even sooner.
Just as you count your calories while eating, do count your carbon footprints before it is too late. Go Green..
The article first published on www.lafdatv.com
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