Carbon Dioxide Levels Hit a New Milestone and it's Terrifying

Human history has never seen such an alarming level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. As of May, its levels were 50 percent greater than at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, announced the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Possibly because of an unprecedented emission of this gas which is a whopping 36 gigatons.

Now that the crucial greenhouse gas hits its yearly high, it is evident more than ever that humans have significantly changed the atmosphere.

Although scientists believe levels of the gas should be falling, the level of the gas is rising. There was a slight jump from May 2020 to May 2021, but this year's carbon dioxide level is nearly 1.9 ppm higher.

The level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere today is similar to that of 4.1-4.5 M years ago during the Pliocene era when temperatures were seven degrees warmer and sea levels were 16-82 feet higher than they are now. For example, South Florida was completely submerged. Conditions like this have never been seen before in human history.

NOAA climate scientist Pieter Tans, who is responsible for tracking global greenhouse gas emissions believes that there is a worldwide effort to reduce emissions, but you do not see it.

In the words of climate scientist Andrea Dutton, it is terrifying. CO₂ emissions continue to rise incrementally and persistently as if a train is barreling down a track toward you, he said.