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| Alert! Source: guardian.co.uk |
Currently, the atmosphere contains 403 ppm (parts per million) CO2 which is roughly the same amount as during the Pliocene Era, 3-5m years ago, a study suggests (One might find it disturbing, that in the Pliocene Era, sea levels were about 20m higher than today's levels.)
The atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are measured by the World Meteorological Organization. The oldest one of its station, the Mauna Loa Observatory, is located in Hawaii. Through its longevity, its measurements are considered particularly significant - a benchmark. And, here we are:
Until next week, stay tuned to find out more about what mankind can do about climate change.
Is it really undisputed that carbon dioxide emissions are bad for people? I am not sure. Why are there still people in the media denying it. Makes me wonder whether it is a fact or an opinion by certain reporters an scientists.
ReplyDeleteHey, thanks for your comment. These are important concerns you're raising. So in terms of your first question (are carbon emissions bad for people), we should distinguish between different scales. Carbon dioxide itself is a major component of the atmosphere and not in that sense - bad for people (it's the stuff we breath out). Emissions however, such as produced by cars (carbon monoxide, lead and nitrogen dioxide etc.) are indeed harmful for people if pollution is too high.
DeleteOn a larger scale it's a bit of a different story (this is think what you mean with the denying media). The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is increasing as a result of activities such as (in fact mostly through) burning of fossil fuels (currently there are around 410 ppm - parts per million - in the atmosphere). And yes, there are people denying that there is a correlation between rising amounts of human-caused carbon dioxide and global warming. BUT this is a tiny fraction - generally we can speak of a consensus here as currently 97% of all actively publishing climate scientist agree that climate change exists and is caused (mostly) by human activities. Coming back to your initial questions - in the long term - as climate change affects us all, carbon dioxide is indeed bad for people, if in the atmosphere in such large quantities, like the ones we experience today. I hope this was a little helpful - here is a link to a NASA statement on this https://climate.nasa.gov/scientific-consensus/