CO2 Now

Earth’s CO2 home page – and CO2 website – was launched into cyberspace on December 17, 2007.  At first, it was a one-page website that featured a single number:  the November 2007 average concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere.    Every month since then, Earth’s CO2 Home Page has been faithfully and promptly kept up to date.

When the home page and site hit the internet in 2007, atmospheric CO2 was reported at 382.35 parts per million.  At the time, it was the highest November in at least 2.1 million years.  As you can see from a quick tour of CO2Now.org, CO2 levels continue to rise at an accelerating rate. 

The original web URL was different, too.   It used to be themostimportantnumber.org.   About eight months after the initial launch, Earth’s CO2 website was upgraded and moved to CO2Now.org.  

Why put so much focus on a single greenhouse gas?  Why focus on one planetary number?  

Humanity’s rising CO2 emissions are driving the accelerating rise of CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere.  This is the main cause of humanity’s mounting environmental problems: global warming, climate change and ocean acidification.   On a more positive note, reversing the trend for atmospheric CO2 is key to solving these problems on a global scale. 

The site was started as – and remains – a part-time project  run by a lay person with little climate science background or website experience.   It was created by Canadian Michael McGee, a husband, father and government worker for more than a decade and a half.  The site is run independently of any company or organization.  Michael launched the site in response to two realizations at the same time:

1.       Atmospheric CO2 is of pivotal importance to the future quality of life for people everywhere, and

2.       Atmospheric CO2 data and trends are rarely discussed and infrequently understood by most people. 

These realities are mostly the same in 2011 as they were in 2007.  CO2Now.org remains a counterpoint to the general silence and lack of awareness of issues related to atmospheric CO2.  It is a place where people of many backgrounds can see, get to know and even get tools that show atmospheric CO2 levels.  The site exists to advance “CO2 literacy” as a stepping stone for people to understand and support workable climate solutions.   

CO2Now.org is a starting place and springboard where people of many backgrounds can get the latest, most important global data and planetary information.  To be a global thinker, it is important to get a good source for global data and information.  Tune into CO2Noworg.  Tell others about it.   Whether it is obvious to you or not, those simple actions key stepping stones that can help make the whole world a better place.