The Guardian reports: Global average concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reached a new record high in March 2015, soaring to surpass 400 parts per million, scientists revealed on Wednesday.
The news came as a reminder that the international community has failed to come up with meaningful solutions to reverse the trend in greenhouse gas emissions that are a direct cause of global warming.
“I, and many other scientists, we are beginning to get worried. Because we see efforts that are not strong enough. We do not see the political will or the leadership to address this issue,” said James Butler, director of the global monitoring division at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The average in atmosphere carbon dioxide concentration observed in March has not been seen by scientists since NOAA monitoring started in 1957.
And scientific evidence suggests that these levels have been unseen for the entire history of human civilization as we know it.
Babylonian, Chinese and western civilizations were able to develop during a time of climate stability marked by carbon dioxide concentration levels of 270 to 280 parts per million, Butler said.
With the dawn of the industrial age, carbon dioxide concentration levels in the atmosphere began to climb, going from 280 parts per million in 1800 to 290 parts per million in 1900. In the last century alone, the rise in concentration is one that would normally be expected to happen over the course of 10,000 or 20,000 years, Butler said – definitely not 100. [Continue reading…]
The failure of governments (especially in USA) seriously to address the problem of reducing emissions takes on the appearance of psychopathy. Politicians have known for many years that the outcome of their failure(s) to act will be devastation of the earth and vast destruction of the manifestations of civilization and broad devastation of human life. They know this as surely as Hitler knew the intended outcome of his holocaust of Jews and many others in the period 1933-45.
For some reason we regard Hitler as a psychopath but do not regard today’s politicians as psychopaths. I don’t understand why. The only difference, which is not in my opinion significant, is that Hitler’s crime as by ACTIOn and today’s politicians are guilty of INACTION.