Earth’s atmospheric CO2 hits highest recorded level in human history – Unprecedented level comes as greenhouse gas emissions continue around the world

Global monthly mean atmospheric CO2, 1980-2022. Data for 2022 are through 5 May 2022. Graphic: NOAA — Global monthly mean atmospheric CO₂, 1980-2022. Data for 2022 are through 5 May 2022. Graphic: NOAA

By Ethan Freedman
6 May 2022

NEW YORK (The Independent) – Monthly average carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels have reached above 420 parts per million (ppm) for the first time on record.

The new data, from Hawaii’s Mauna Loa Observatory, were released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Atmospheric CO₂, driven higher in large part by burning fossil fuels around the world, is one of the major causes of the climate crisis.

Some climate scientists, including James Hansen, who famously alerted the US Congress to the perils of the climate crisis back in 1988, have previously called to reduce atmospheric CO₂ below 350 ppm.

CO₂ levels fluctuate over the course of the year, with highs around late spring. That’s due to the Northern Hemisphere’s seasons – as the northern summer comes in, increased plant growth pulls a lot of carbon out of the atmosphere, dropping levels lower.

Global daily atmospheric CO2, 2012-2022. The figure shows daily averaged CO2 from four GML Atmospheric Baseline observatories; Barrow, Alaska (in blue), Mauna Loa, Hawaii (in red), American Samoa (in green), and South Pole, Antarctica (in yellow). The thick black lines represent the average of the smoothed seasonal curves and the smoothed, de-seasonalized curves for each of the records. These lines are a very good estimate of the global average levels of CO2. Data for 2022 are through 7 May 2022. Graphic: NOAA — Global daily atmospheric CO₂, 2012-2022. The figure shows daily averaged CO₂ from four GML Atmospheric Baseline observatories; Barrow, Alaska (in blue), Mauna Loa, Hawaii (in red), American Samoa (in green), and South Pole, Antarctica (in yellow). The thick black lines represent the average of the smoothed seasonal curves and the smoothed, de-seasonalized curves for each of the records. These lines are a very good estimate of the global average levels of CO₂. Data for 2022 are through 7 May 2022. Graphic: NOAA

But emissions from transportation, industry, electricity generation and other sources like deforestation have pushed vast quantities of CO₂ into the atmosphere throughout the year since the mid-19th century – causing atmospheric carbon to increase dramatically over time.

Last year’s highest month, May, recorded 419.13 ppm. Twenty years ago, the highest month of the year had 375.93 ppm – and in 1958, the first year scientists started collecting CO₂ data at Mauna Loa, the highest month of the year had just 317.51 ppm.

The Mauna Loa observatory is the longest continuous record of atmospheric carbon dioxide in the world.

NOAA notes that CO₂ is currently increasing about 100 times faster than other periods in geological history that have seen more natural increases in carbon dioxide. [more]

Earth’s CO2 hits highest recorded level in human history