Scientists from Mauna Loa Observatory (Hawaii) and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have unanimously cautioned the world about the dangerous levels to which atmospheric carbon dioxide has increased in the last six years. Today, the level of carbon dioxide in the global atmosphere measures 387 ppm (parts per million) which implies a 40% increase since the industrial revolution and the highest in about 650,000 years. It is 35% more than the predicted value.
From 1970 to 2000 the annual growth rate of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was 1.5 ppm, from 2000 to 2006 it was 2.1 ppm and in 2007 it was an alarming 2.14 ppm. The Mauna Loa Observatory has been recording the levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide since 1958 and being located 11,000 ft. high up a volcano, it can be safely assumed that it is not in the vicinity of any carbon dioxide emitting source that might influence its readings.
Al Gore’s documentary titled ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ played a significant role by highlighting the ill-effects of the increasing levels of carbon dioxide by popularizing the Mauna Loa findings. The documentary shows the annual rise and fall in the carbon dioxide levels in the northern hemisphere from spring to autumn, with the starting point being set at a higher level for each subsequent year.
The climate models expect half of the atmospheric carbon dioxide to be absorbed by the forests and the oceans in future. But the actual picture is not all that glossy. It has been observed that the ability of the earth to absorb carbon dioxide has decreased drastically in recent years thanks to industrial and vehicular pollution. In reality, the polluting emissions need to be cut down more than what is actually projected to avoid global warming from reaching alarming proportions. According to Robin Oakley, we are at such a serious juncture that contemplating the building of new runways and coal fired power stations will prove to be a very foolish idea. The last time this kind of thing happened was some 350,000 years ago when the human beings had not evolved as a species. The usage of coal as a fuel by China was seen to contribute to about half of the rise in carbon dioxide.
Hence, on the whole, the inability of the land and water bodies and the plants to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, deforestation, the growth in atmospheric pollution due to industrial emissions and China’s dependence on coal are being seen as the major contributory factors for the dangerous rise in carbon dioxide levels.
Carbon dioxide plays a major role in initiating and maintaining the green house effect on earth and hence, it is the main contributory element to global warming that in turn adversely affects the climate. If not checked in time it will prove to be a big threat to life on earth very soon.
via: The Guardian