UN Warns Carbon Dioxide Levels in the Atmosphere has Peaked

Today our world faces a big concern which has ushered a 'new era of climate change reality'. According to the United Nations' World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Report, the global average concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere peaked at 400 parts per million in 2015 since modern record-keeping began in 1960.

The U.N. group added that in 2016, the global carbon dioxide concentration rose even higher, breaking a new record. On Monday Stéphane Dujarric, a spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, "The rise was fueled by El Niño, which led to droughts in tropical regions and reduced the capacity of forests and oceans to absorb carbon dioxide,"Aljazeera reported.

The challenge and concern we are now facing is that The El Niño event dimed to have fueled of rise of carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere has disappeared but Climate change has not, actually recently WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said, "The year 2015 ushered in a new era of optimism and climate action with the Paris climate change agreement. But it will also make history as marking a new era of climate change reality with record high greenhouse gas concentrations,".

Not only that, but the report also shows the growing levels of other greenhouse gases, such as methane and nitrous oxide. Atmospheric methane had reached about 1845 parts per billion (ppb) in 2015, 2.5 times greater than in the pre-industrial era, while nitrous oxide was at 328ppb, 1.2 times above historic levels.

Unless we make a conscious effort to stop/reduce burning fossil fuels and starts planting more trees carbon dioxide levels will continue to sky rocket. Speaking of the sky, NASA recently released a video showing how carbon dioxide emissions from countries with high industrial activity like China, travel and affect the atmosphere which has helped raise awareness and advocate for change, Sbs repored.

The WMO predicts that the carbon dioxide concentrations will stay above this threshold for the entirety of 2016, and may not drop below that level for many generations.

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