Over the next several posts, I am planning on laying out in simple prose and imagery (with a few interesting links-I hope!-mixed in the pot) prominent indicators of runaway greenhouse gas emissions and the global heating which has begun to ensue as a result. It is crucial that the global citizenry get an easy-to-understand and concise picture of how we know that human activity is dramatically altering the Earth’s life-supporting systems.

Really, Really Elevated and Historic CO2 Levels in Life-Sustaining Atmosphere

At the present moment, the Earth’s lower atmosphere- responsible for providing us with just the right mix of molecular gases to sustain human life for the past 200,000 years plus- contains about 390 PPM of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is the most prevalent and abundant greenhouse gas produced by humanity and has been released in ever-increasing quantities above ‘normal’ levels since the Industrial Revolution began. In fact, research released last year showed that we haven’t seen levels of CO2 this high in 1.5 million years! While the greenhouse gas effect is critical to supporting life on this planet, too much of a hot blanket can be incredibly suffocating to humans, other animals and plants, and ecosystems which have thrived in a relatively stable climate until very recently.

Here is a graph that shows the worldwide atmospheric levels of CO2 over the past 800,000 years, based on research conducted using ice core samples. Note the steady ups and downs of carbon dioxide levels until the past couple hundred years, when we dramatically shoot up to the current concentration of nearly 400 PPM, as well as the speed in which the CO2 increase has occurred. Coincidentally enough, these last couple hundred years coincide with the Industrial Revolution and the advent of fossil fuel combustion! :

Credit:www.wikipedia.org, by way of www.doi.pangaea.de

And, here is a snapshot of recent CO2 emissions data produced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which releases official climactic and meteorological data on behalf of the United States government. The graph shows CO2 levels in the atmosphere- as measured in Mauna Loa, Hawaii, United States- on an annual basis, beginning in 1958:

Hmmmm. Don’t really see any downward trend at all there.

A grand experiment is being conducted, where we are testing how much of a very heat-absorbent gas we can put in the atmosphere before enormous, worldwide destruction can occur. And this experiment has never been conducted with human life on the planet. I can’t wait to see the results (odds are, Mother Nature will still be standing…us…?)!

Peace for now!

P.S. Some British researchers enjoyed some April showers last month. At the North Pole.