Rising greenhouse gas levels

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US scientists have confirmed that the levels of the three most critical heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere reached new record highs last year, highlighting the growing challenge of the climate crisis.
In 2023, the global concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2), the most significant and widespread greenhouse gas from human activity, averaged 419 parts per million. Methane, a potent but shorter-lived greenhouse gas, averaged 1922 parts per billion, while nitrous oxide levels rose slightly to 336 parts per billion.


According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), these increases, although not matching the record spikes of recent years, still represent a significant shift in the atmosphere's composition compared to a decade ago.
Human activities such as burning fossil fuels, animal agriculture, and deforestation have driven CO2 levels to more than 50% higher than pre-industrial times. Methane, from sources like oil and gas drilling and livestock, has increased even more dramatically, with atmospheric concentrations now 160% higher than in pre-industrial times, NOAA reported.


NOAA attributes the rise in greenhouse gas levels to ongoing fossil fuel use and the impact of wildfires, which release carbon-laden smoke. Nitrous oxide has risen due to the extensive use of nitrogen fertilizers and intensified agriculture.
Vanda Grubišić, director of NOAA’s global monitoring laboratory, stated, “As these numbers show, we still have a lot of work to do to make meaningful progress in reducing the amount of greenhouse gases accumulating in the atmosphere.”
The increasing concentration of greenhouse gases is driving global temperatures higher, with last year being the hottest ever recorded worldwide, leading to more floods, droughts, heatwaves, and wildfires.

This trend is pushing the world towards conditions not seen since before human civilization. According to NOAA, current CO2 levels are comparable to those around 4 million years ago, when sea levels were about 75 feet higher, temperatures were much hotter, and large forests covered the now-frozen Arctic.
Due to the lag between CO2 levels and their effects, and the fact that these emissions remain in the atmosphere for centuries, the climate crisis spans a vast timescale. Scientists warn that governments must rapidly cut emissions to net zero and start removing carbon from the atmosphere to mitigate future temperature rises.

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