The need to shift to
sustainable and clean energy sources will
be reinforced when the levels of carbon
dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere reached
400 parts per million (ppm) for the first
time in human history in the next few days.
Scientists from the
Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, are set
to announce that levels of atmospheric CO2
are reaching 400ppm now, marking a critical
point on the pathway to dangerous levels
of global warming.
The imperative to drive
down these emissions has never been stronger,
says Samantha Smith, WWF leader of the Global
Climate & Energy Initiative.
“The laws of physics
tell us that the more CO2 we have in the
atmosphere, the warmer the world will get.
The last time the Earth’s atmosphere had
as much CO2 as it has today, the world was
3-4 degrees Celsius warmer. And the last
time the world was that warm, sea levels
were five to 40 meters higher than they
are now,” she says.
According to scientists,
there’s no doubt that human beings are responsible
for rising levels of CO2 in the atmosphere,
with most of global climate pollution coming
from the energy sector, especially burning
fossil fuels. If CO2 levels continue to
rise, we can expect to see record high temperatures
become the new summer average; record droughts
become the norm; and record storms and floods
become frequent events, says Smith.
“Globally, communities
and governments already struggle to respond
to droughts, crop failures and extreme weather
events, even in rich countries such as the
US. If CO2 levels keep rising, efforts to
adapt to a changing climate are very unlikely
to do the job.”
But this trajectory
can change if the right choices are made.
“With a fast global
shift to renewable energy and supported
by strong energy efficiency measures, we
can drastically reduce CO2 emissions which
eventually will also stabilise and reduce
atomospheric CO2 concentrations,” says Smith.
Costs of renewable electricity
have dropped radically, and in 2011 investments
in renewables outstripped investments in
fossil fuel power for the first time. Renewable
energy can become “the new normal.” But
it requires commitments from governments
if it is to happen quickly enough and at
scale, she says.
The Mauna Loa Observatory
is operated by the Scripps Institution of
Oceonography at the University of California
San Diego. Scripps Institution of Oceanography
is one of the oldest, largest, and most
important centers for ocean and earth science
research,education, and public service in
the world.
The observatory in Hawaii
is sited 3,400m above sea level and far
from any major pollution sources in the
Pacific Ocean and therefore its data on
CO2 is considered to be the “gold standard”
of data.
