Earth’s Climate at Risk: Record CO2 Levels Unseen in 800,000 Years
For the first time in 800,000 years, Earth is grappling with an unprecedented surge in carbon dioxide levels. In 2023, the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere soared to 420 parts per million, marking the highest peak in nearly a million years, as detailed in a report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). This figure towers 51% above the pre-industrial baseline of 1750.
It’s not just CO2 sounding the alarm. Other greenhouse gases have also hit historic highs: methane levels have spiked to 265% of their pre-industrial mark, while nitrous oxide has climbed to 125%. Observations reveal that this upward trend persisted into 2024.
The swelling presence of these gases has fueled record-breaking temperatures in 2023 and 2024, a trend worsened by the shift from the cooling La Niña to the warming El Niño. This climatic upheaval has unleashed a wave of extreme weather—tropical cyclones, floods, and droughts—uprooting communities, deepening food shortages, and inflicting hefty economic blows.
