(Washington) Despite the coronavirus pandemic, the carbon dioxide level2 The atmosphere reached its highest level in May since it began being measured 63 years ago by an observatory in Hawaii, scientists said Monday, sounding the alarm.
In May 2021, the 419 parts per million mark, the unit of measure used to measure air pollution, was crossed, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA).
These measurements were taken at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, ideally located on top of a volcano, where they have been recorded since 1958.
May is usually the month with the highest carbon dioxide content each year. Last year, in May 2020, the recorded rate was 417 parts per million.
“There is no observable indication in the data of the global economic disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic,” the foundation said.
On the other hand, other scientific evidence indicates that this rate has not actually been reached for millions of years.
This level is “similar” to what it was “between 4.1 and 4.5 million years ago, when CO . was2 “It was close to 400 parts per million or more,” the agency said in a statement. At that time, sea level was about 20 meters higher, and large forests occupied parts of the Arctic, according to studies.
We add about 40 billion tons of carbon dioxide pollution2 in the atmosphere every year,” said NOAA scientist Peter Tans. “If we are to avoid catastrophic climate change, our top priority must be to reduce carbon dioxide pollution.2 to zero at the earliest possible date. ”
Carbon dioxide is generated by the combustion of fossil fuels for transportation or electricity production, but also by other practices such as cement making, deforestation…
These greenhouse gases trap heat, gradually causing global warming. It persists in the atmosphere and oceans for thousands of years, notes NOAA.
Despite decades of negotiations, the global community has not been able to significantly slow down annual increases in carbon dioxide levels, let alone reverse them.2 in the atmosphere,” the US agency lamented.
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