CO2 Now

Carbon dioxide is at the heart of the global warming problem.  

When we want to know whether humanity is collectively doing enough to solve global warming, just look to the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.  No other indicator is as complete, current and direct.    No other metric tells us so much.  

This is how it works...   

CO2 is the main greenhouse gas in terms of its warming potential and longevity in the atmosphere.  The concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is continually monitored by scientists with high-precision instruments.   Results are reported as a monthly average.

The monthly CO2 updates includes all the human and natural factors that affect the balance of CO2 in the atmosphere.  It includes all continents, all countries, all CO2 emissions and all CO2 sinks.  CO2 mixes quickly in the atmosphere, and a scientific reading from a single point on Earth serves as an effective CO2 trend indicator for the whole atmosphere. 

Concentrations are measured as “parts per million” or ppm.   In March 1958, when high-precision monitoring began at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, atmospheric CO2 was 315.71 ppm.  For every one million molecules in the atmosphere, 315.71 of them were on average CO2 molecules.   Today, atmospheric CO2 is approaching 390 ppm. 

As long as CO2 concentrations continue to rise, we can expect a growth in planet-wide problems due to more global warming and faster climate change.   With atmospheric CO2 still on the rise, humanity has much to do to solve these problems.  

When we finally see a decline in atmospheric CO2 levels, we will know that we are actually doing what is needed on a global scale to tackle the root causes of global warming and rapid climate change.   When we start to see declines in CO2, we will know that we are on the right track and moving back down toward a level of safe CO2. 

Whether CO2 is moving up, down or sideways, the people of the world need to pay deliberate attention to what is happening to this critical greenhouse gas in the atmosphere.  The monthly CO2 updates are an important tool to help us solve the root causes the global warming and climate change problems.   As more people watch this indicator, the more useful it will become as an effective part of the solution.  It is a metric that will provide no benefit if only a few people are watching.