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Registered: 06-2006
Location: Castle Belgalor
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Greenhouse gas hits record level


The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has reached its highest level in human history as it nudges ever closer to the point of no return.

The greenhouse gas is also pouring into the sky even faster than it did during the second half of the previous century. There are now 387 parts per million of CO2 in the air, the highest figure for 650,000 years. The level is just a few years from what many scientists regard as the tipping point of 400ppm.

It raises renewed concerns over the Earth's dimin­ishing ability to soak up pollution and means targets for cutting emissions need to be revised drastically. The latest figures, from scientists at the Mauna Loa observatory in Hawaii, show levels of CO2 were at least 100ppm higher than they were before the industrial revolution.

Last year, the rise was 2.14ppm, while from 1970 to 2000 the concentration rose by an average of about 1.5ppm each year. Above 400ppm many experts predict the world will start heating up dangerously, bringing more extreme weather such as floods and droughts.

Prof Andrew Watson, from the University of East Anglia, said up to 30 per cent of the rise could be down to the weakening of the Earth's natural carbon sinks – the oceans and rainforests.

Mike Childs, from Friends of the Earth, said world leaders must push ahead with 'robust policies' to cut emissions.

He added: 'Gordon Brown must stop dithering over climate change law. He must commit to a tough law that includes emissions from aviation and shipping and aims to reduce our emissions by 80 per cent by 2050.'


5/18/2008, 4:44 pm Link to this post Send PM to The Wizard3 Blog
 


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