World Passes Critical Global Warming Milestone

[Hissyspit]

Source: CBS News

World Passes Critical Global Warming Milestone

MICHAEL CASEY CBS NEWS
May 6, 2015 2:59 PM EDT

The world has passed a worrying milestone, with concentrations of greenhouse gases reaching levels not seen for millions of years.

For the first time, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced Wednesday that global concentrations of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in March passed 400 parts per million.

The landmark has long been expected, given that nations led by the United States, China and India continue to pump huge quantities of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. But the fact it has now been reached could provide additional urgency to reaching a global pact to cap emissions when world leaders meet in Paris on the issue later this year.

"It was only a matter of time that we would average 400 parts per million globally," said Pieter Tans, lead scientist of NOAA's Global Greenhouse Gas Reference Network. "We first reported 400 ppm when all of our Arctic sites reached that value in the spring of 2012. In 2013 the record at NOAA's Mauna Loa Observatory first crossed the 400-ppm threshold. Reaching 400 parts per million as a global average is a significant milestone."

Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/world-passes-critical-global-warming-milestone/

[dixiegrrrrl]

1. Damn...usually milestones are good things to pass. n/t

[uncle ray]

2. well, pot does grow faster with more co2.

so let's get high and watch the world end.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

21. That's my plan too. Probably stash some good scotch too.

[Ghost Dog]

22. Well, in the circumstances...

Having reduced one's own footprint as much as reasonably feasible, make & enjoy music too.

[MH1]

3. Bah. "Millions of years"? Can't be ....

the world is only 6000 years old, you know?

[Martin Eden]

6. Some people "know" it.

For example, a sign overlooking the gorge in Tennessee's beautiful Fall Creek Falls State Park explains the geologic process that formed it over hundreds of millions of years. Some knowledgeable person corrected the sign by (mostly) scratching out the "hundreds of millions of years" part.

[fmdaddio]

9. Wilma!!!

Hey I love the Flintstones.

[calimary]

24. Welcome to DU, fmdaddio!

Glad you're here! LOVE your screen name! Sounds like it belongs to a DJ! I'm an old radio person myself. Love "The Flintstones" too! I kinda have a bias. I've seen so many of the more recent rounds of cartoons - since my kids discovered them. HOWEVER, one of the band members had the Cartoon Network on this morning, with Warner Brothers selections, Bugs Bunny and the rest. With the voice of the Late Great Mel Blanc. And I couldn't help but think - "MAN - they don't make 'em like that anymore..." Even the music, the orchestration, was funny. As though it were one of the characters.

[YOHABLO]

4. We can only blame ourselves for allowing this to happen. There's power in numbers. Who VOTED?

[cloudythescribbler]

5. I had thought 400 was passed a while back (I might try to find the link) and we're now at around 404

=

[SamKnause]

7. I read a post on DU today

that stated it was at 403.

[AuntPatsy]

8. Read that too

[Blues Heron]

10. this is a global average. Mauna Lea has been hitting above 400 for a couple years now

[tclambert]

11. The article contained a little bit of nuance. The south pole observatory first hit 400 in 2012.

The Mauna Loa observatory hit 400 ppm in May, 2013, for nine days. In 2014, it saw 400 ppm in March (it usually peaks in May).

I think what they mean to say is that for 2015, they project the world will average over 400 ppm for the year.

[Comrade Grumpy]

12. Racing over the cliff as fast as we can.

[CrispyQ]

13. ...

[Quasimodem]

14. Love it! Absolutely priceless. n/t

[valerief]

15. Can Florida officials say, "Climb It Change?" without getting fired? nt

[Overseas]

16. Sad K&R.

[blackspade]

17. Our civilization is so fucked.

Thanks to the repigs and their greedy enablers.

[Thespian2]

18. I am too old

to see the destruction of the earth's population...at the moment, I don't see much progress in stopping the down-ward slide...

[daleanime]

19. No problem.....

it's already begun.

[geomon666]

20. lalalalalalala! Not listening!

[Owl]

23. It's a crappy world we give to our children and generations beyond.

[Maynar]

25. This is true.

nt

[progressoid]

26. How will this affect the Kardashians?