Monday, April 19, 2010

Rising CO2 Levels

This is an article by David Adam, written on Monday, May 12th 2008, entitled "World CO2 Levels at Record high, scientists warn", and posted on www.TheWe.cc For further information, please go to :
http://www.thewe.cc/weplanet/news/air/co2_record_high_levels_in_the_atmosphere.htm


"The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has reached a record high, according to new figures that renew fears that climate change could begin to slide out of control. Scientists at the Mauna Loa observatory in Hawaii say that CO2 levels in the atmosphere now stand at 387 parts per million (ppm), up almost 40% since the industrial revolution and the highest for at least the last 650,000 years. The figures, published by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on its website, also confirm that carbon dioxide, the chief greenhouse gas, is accumulating in the atmosphere faster than expected. The annual mean growth rate for 2007 was 2.14ppm – the fourth year in the past six to see an annual rise greater than 2ppm. From 1970 to 2000, the concentration rose by about 1.5ppm each year, but since 2000 the annual rise has leapt to an average 2.1ppm. Scientists say the shift could indicate that the Earth is losing its natural ability to soak up billions of tons of carbon each year. Climate models assume that about half our future emissions will be re-absorbed by forests and oceans, but the new figures confirm this may be too optimistic. If more of our carbon pollution stays in the atmosphere, it means emissions will have to be cut by more than currently projected to prevent dangerous levels of global warming. Martin Parry, co-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's working group on impacts, said:
Despite all the talk, the situation is getting worse. Levels of greenhouse gases continue to rise in the atmosphere and the rate of that rise is accelerating. We are already seeing the impacts of climate change and the scale of those impacts will also accelerate, until we decide to do something about it."



Isn't this reason enough to try to do something? Awareness of the Global Climate Change Crisis is becoming more relevant in America due to pushes by President Obama for the United States to become a greener, more efficient country. An article about this subject was posted on the CNN website. For the full article, please click on the following link:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/05/obama.energy/index.html?section=cnn_latest

The article is about the push by President Obama for Americans to become more efficient in their homes. It's being called the Home Star program, the plan first outlined in the State of the Union address. Rebates of up to $3,000 would be provided for homeowners if they made energy-efficient improvements to their homes. However, for simpler upgrades like the installation of better water heaters, insulation, windows, doors, etc. could bring in a smaller rebate of up to $1,500.

Isn't this incentive enough? Even if you don't believe in Global Warming/Global Climate Change, the switch to more efficient improvements in your household would not only be payed back in rebates, but the bills you once had for things like water heaters and the like would drop significantly! That is as good a reason as any to take part in becoming more efficient not only as a nation, but as a world.


By Ninja

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