Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

hatrack

(59,583 posts)
Wed Sep 10, 2014, 11:21 PM Sep 2014

WP Successfully Isolates Purified Obvium: "Rise In GHGs Spurs Fears Over Climate"

Levels of heat-trapping carbon dioxide in the atmosphere rose at a record-shattering pace last year, a new report shows, a surge that surprised scientists and spurred fears of an accelerated warming of the planet in decades to come.

Concentrations of nearly all the major greenhouse gases reached historic highs in 2013, reflecting ever-rising emissions from automobiles and smokestacks but also, scientists believe, a diminishing ability of the world’s oceans and plant life to soak up the excess carbon put into the atmosphere by humans, according to data released early Tuesday by the United Nations’ meteorological advisory body.

The latest figures from the World Meteorological Organization’s monitoring network are considered particularly significant because they reflect not only the amount of carbon pumped into the air by humans, but also the complex interaction between man-made gases and the natural world. Historically, about half of the pollution from human sources has been absorbed by the oceans and by terrestrial plants, preventing temperatures from rising as quickly as they otherwise would, scientists say.

EDIT

Natural carbon dioxide is an essential ingredient for life on Earth, enabling green plants to convert sunlight into energy. But at excessive levels, it acts as a heat trap, causing the planet to warm. Scientists say the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has been rising since the start of the industrial revolution, and the increase has accelerated since the 1990s.

NO!!

EDIT

http://www.post-gazette.com/news/world/2014/09/09/CO2-rising-at-much-faster-rate-report-finds/stories/201409090109

Latest Discussions»Issue Forums»Environment & Energy»WP Successfully Isolates ...