Earth's atmosphere hasn't had this much CO2 in millions of years

Earth's atmosphere now has more carbon dioxide in it than it has in millions — and possibly tens of millions — of years, according to data released Thursday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and scientists at the University of California San Diego.
For the first time, global average concentrations of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas emitted as a byproduct of burning fossil fuels, exceeded 430 parts per million (ppm) in May. The new readings were a record high and represented an increase of more than 3 ppm over last year.
The measurements indicate that countries are not doing enough to limit greenhouse gas emissions and reverse the steady buildup of C02, which climate scientists point to as the main culprit for global warming.
'Another year, another record,' Ralph Keeling, a professor of climate sciences, marine chemistry and geochemistry at UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography, said in a statement. 'It's sad.'
Carbon dioxide, like other greenhouse gases, traps heat from the sun and can remain in the atmosphere for centuries. As such, high concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere contribute to higher global temperatures and other negative consequences of climate change, including rising sea levels, melting polar ice, and more frequent and severe extreme weather events.
Atmospheric carbon dioxide has risen sharply since preindustrial times, owing mostly to human activities that pump greenhouse gases into the air.
Decades ago, crossing the 400 ppm threshold was unthinkable. That meant that for every 1 million molecules of gas in the atmosphere, more than 400 were carbon dioxide. The planet hit that grim milestone in 2013. And now, scientists have warned that levels of CO2 could reach 500 ppm within 30 years.
But human society is already in uncharted territory.
The last time the planet had such high levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was likely more than 30 million years ago, Keeling said, long before humans roamed Earth and during a time when the climate was vastly different.
He said it's alarming not only how high CO2 levels have climbed, but also how quickly.
'It's changing so fast,' he told NBC News. 'If humans had evolved in such a high-CO2 world, there would probably be places where we wouldn't be living now. We probably could have adapted to such a world, but we built our society and a civilization around yesterday's climate.'
Carbon dioxide levels are typically represented on a graph known as the Keeling Curve, named for Keeling's father, Charles David Keeling, who began taking daily measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide in 1958 with instruments atop the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii.
The Keeling Curve famously shows a steep climb since the Industrial Revolution, owing to human-caused climate change.
Ralph Keeling and his colleagues at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography found that average concentrations of atmospheric CO2 in May were 430.2 ppm. NOAA's Global Monitoring Laboratory, which has conducted separate daily readings since 1974, reported an average of 430.5 ppm in May.
Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are closely monitored to gauge how much humans are influencing Earth's climate. The readings are also an indicator of the planet's overall health.
'They're telling you about your whole system health with a single-point measurement,' Keeling said. 'We're getting a holistic measurement of the atmosphere from really a kind of simple set of measurements.'

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Daily Mail​

a day ago

• Daily Mail​

Scientists blame climate change for the UK heatwave: 32°C temperatures were made 100 TIMES more likely by global warming.

As the UK braces for the first heatwave of 2025, scientists warn that climate change is responsible. This weekend's 32°C (90°F) forecast was made 100 times more likely by global warming, according to the research group World Weather Attribution. Before humans began to alter the climate with fossil fuels, the UK would only see these temperatures in June once every 2,500 years. Today, Britons should expect to be hit by similar life-threatening extremes once every 25 years. Due to human activity, the planet's climate is now 1.3°C (2.34°F) warmer than it was before the Industrial Revolution. This has made heatwaves like the one the UK is currently facing both more severe and more frequent. Historically, a June heatwave with three or more days above 28°C (82.4°F) would only happen about once every 50 years in the UK. Now, every June has a 20 per cent chance of experiencing a heatwave - 10 times more likely than in the pre-industrial period. Scientists found that three-day heatwaves in southeast England are now 3°C (5.4°F) hotter due to human-caused climate change heating the planet This week, the UK has experienced prolonged and intense heat building to a peak over the weekend. The current forecast predicts maximum temperatures to reach 32°C (90°F) in some locations, with heatwave thresholds likely to be exceeded across the country. The hottest area, Humberside, is predicted to reach 33°C (91.4°F) on Saturday, while London exceeds 30°C (86°F) until Monday. On Thursday, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued an amber heat alert for the whole of the UK, warning that there could be a 'rise in deaths'. In a new report, World Weather Attribution finds that these temperatures were made hotter and more likely by human-caused climate change. Dr Friederike Otto, a climate scientist at Imperial College London and co-lead of World Weather Attribution, says: 'We know exactly what has intensified this heatwave - burning oil, gas and coal, which has loaded the atmosphere with planet-heating greenhouse gases.' Overall, June heatwaves are now about 2-4°C (3.6-7.2°F) more intense due to climate change. In the report, the researchers warn that this is enough of a difference to turn June's forecast from 'warm sunny weather into dangerous heat'. While many people might be looking forward to enjoying the hot weather over the weekend, heatwaves are the deadliest extreme event in the world and kill hundreds of thousands each year. Professor Mike Tipton, a human physiologist from the University of Portsmouth who was not involved with the study, says: 'The human body is not designed to tolerate prolonged exposure to this sort of extreme heat. 'We know that when temperatures rise above 30 degrees there is a spike in excess deaths, particularly in vulnerable groups, and unfortunately we are likely to see that again in the coming days and weeks as the mercury once again rises to these dangerous levels.' Heatwaves are especially dangerous in June when people have not yet had a chance to acclimate to the heat. This is especially problematic for the elderly and infirm who might not be able to get outside to cool off or monitor their own temperature. During 2022, the UK experienced its most deadly heatwave on record when a record temperature of 40.3°C (104.5°F) was recorded at Coningsby, Lincolnshire. More than 1,000 excess deaths among older people were recorded around the four-day peak of the heatwave, with more than 3,000 heat-related deaths in England over summer 2022. Professor Tipton says: 'With the evidence that 32-degree days in June are now 100 times more likely, it is undeniable that climate change is now costing British lives.' This comes after a study conducted by the Met Office predicted that summers rivalling the famous 1976 heatwave could become the norm as the climate continues to warm. During that summer, the UK spent a sweltering fortnight above the heatwave threshold of 28°C (82°F). Looking ahead, the Met Office warns that the UK might spend two-thirds of the summer at those temperatures, with continuous heatwaves lasting up to a month. The study warned there is now a 50/50 chance of the UK hitting 40°C again in the next 12 years, with a maximum of 46.6°C (115.9°F) now 'plausible' in today's climate. World Weather Attribution also warns that climate change is increasing the risk of wildfires in the UK. Theodore Keeping, wildfire researcher at Imperial College, says: 'Hotter temperatures mean an exponential increase in the evaporation of moisture from vegetation. 'This leads to much drier conditions, and results in a higher chance of wildfires starting and spreading as leaf litter and grasses become tinder dry.' The UK is already in the midst of a record year for wildfires, smashing the all-time record in the first four months of the year. Tom Lancaster, land, food and farming analyst at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, says: 'We're in the midst of a record-breaking year for wildfires, with exceptionally severe fire risk forecast for this weekend, bringing home the reality of continuing to pump carbon emissions into the atmosphere.' Ahead of this weekend's heatwave, emergency services around the country have issued warnings about the increased risk of fires. According to the Met Office, the fire severity risk is currently 'very high' in many places and 'high' in others. Mr Keeping adds: 'People going outside to enjoy the warm weather should not be using fire or disposable barbecues, dispose of cigarette butts carefully and should immediately notify emergency services if they do notice a fire.

The Guardian

11-06-2025

• The Guardian

Major US climate website likely to be shut down after almost all staff fired

A major US government website supporting public education on climate science looks likely to be shuttered after almost all of its staff were fired, the Guardian has learned. the gateway website for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa)'s Climate Program Office, will imminently no longer publish new content, according to multiple former staff responsible for the site's content whose contracts were recently terminated. 'The entire content production staff at (including me) were let go from our government contract on 31 May,' said a former government contractor who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation. 'We were told that our positions within the contract were being eliminated.' Rebecca Lindsey, the website's former program manager, who was fired in February as part of the government's purge of probationary employees, described a months-long situation within Noaa where political appointees and career staff argued over the fate of the website. 'I had gotten a stellar performance review, gotten a bonus, gotten a raise. I was performing very well. And then I was part of that group who got the form letter saying, 'Your knowledge, skills, and abilities are no longer of use to Noaa' – or something to that effect.' Lindsey said she had been worried that might be a target of the new administration soon after the election, but when a large Noaa contract was up for renewal at the end of May, her former boss told her that a demand came 'from above' to rewrite parts of the contract to remove the team's funding. 'It was a very deliberate, targeted attack,' said Lindsey. Lindsey said the content for was created and maintained by a contracted staff of about 10, with additional contributions from Noaa scientists, and its editorial content was specifically designed to be politically neutral, and faithful to the current state of the sciences. All of those staff have now been dismissed, she said. 'We operated exactly how you would want an independent, nonpartisan communications group to operate,' said Lindsey, and noted that is housed within the science division of Noaa, not its public affairs division. 'It does seem to be part of this sort of slow and quiet way of trying to keep science agencies from providing information to the American public about climate.' Noaa has been contacted for comment. It's unclear whether the website will remain visible to the public. The site was housed within the Communication, Education, and Engagement Division of Noaa, which describes itself as 'the largest team in the federal government dedicated to climate communication, education, and engagement'. The website receives hundreds of thousands of visits per month and is one of the most popular sources of information about climate science on the internet. The fired staff believe the changes to were targeted by political appointees within the Trump administration and specifically aimed at restricting public-facing climate information. 'It's targeted, I think it's clear,' said Tom Di Liberto, a former Noaa spokesperson who was also fired from his position earlier this year. 'They only fired a handful of people, and it just so happened to be the entire content team for I mean, that's a clear signal.' The purge spared two web developers, which Di Liberto says is a concerning sign. The contractor said: 'My bigger worry, long-term, is I would hate to see it turn into a propaganda website for this administration, because that's not at all what it was.' The contractor said that while there will still be some pre-written, scheduled content posted on the site this month, there are no plans for further new content: 'After that, we have no idea what will happen to the website.' Lindsey said she also fears a 'sinister possibility' that the administration may co-opt to publish its own anti-science content. Lindsey said the administration could now 'provide a content team from the Heartland Institute, leveraging our audience, our brand, our millions of people that we reach on social media every month. That's the worst-case scenario.' ' is one heck of a URL. If you wanted to basically keep the website alive to do something with later, this is what you would do if you're the [Trump] administration,' said Di Liberto. 'It's clear that the administration does not accept climate science, so it's certainly concerning.' The cuts also mean that there is now also no one left to run social media accounts, which have hundreds of thousands of followers. Since staff in charge of did a lot of pushback on misinformation, their absence may help anti-science information flourish there more readily. 'We were an extremely well-trusted source for climate information, misinformation and disinformation because we actually, legitimately would answer misinformation questions,' said the contractor. 'We'd answer reader emails and try to combat disinformation on social media. 'We get attacked on social media by people who don't believe in climate change, and that's increased over the last six months or so as well.' The shutdown comes amid broader cuts to science funding across the government, including 'significant reductions to education, grants, research, and climate-related programs within Noaa', as stated in the 2026 'passback' budget Congress is currently deliberating. 'It seems like if they can't get rid of all the research, what they can do is make it impossible for anyone to know about it,' said Di Liberto. The contractor said they worry that what may have begun as a heavy-handed attempt by administration officials to limit public knowledge of human-caused climate change will have broader impacts on public education on the cyclical drivers of weather – as well as the results of publicly funded research conducted by Noaa scientists. 'To me, climate is more broad than just climate change. It's also climate patterns like El Niño and La Niña. Halting factual climate information is a disservice to the public. Hiding the impacts of climate change won't stop it from happening, it will just make us far less prepared when it does.'

BBC News

08-06-2025

• BBC News

Belper's historic knitting machine back on display

The machine behind the man credited with helping start the Industrial Revolution returns to a Derbyshire Framework Knitting Machine, invented in 1589, made socks and stockings but they had to be tied up with a garter to stop them falling 200 years later, Jedediah Strutt, the founding father of the Belper Mills, developed an attachment to the machine to solve the problem and produce ribbed socks and stockings. The machine, which was once on display at North Mill Museum before it closed in 2022, is now on show at Belper Library. Derbyshire-born Strutt later helped to create the world's first factories - cotton mills - at Cromford with Richard Arkwright in 1771 and then in Belper along the River Derwent in 2014, a blue plaque commemorating Strutt was unveiled at Friar Gate House, his final Hill, chair of Belper North Mill Trust, said the machine, which had been in storage since the museum closed, was "unique".He said the trust and the Volunteers Association were "delighted to be able to bring home this important piece of Belper's history". "Without this invention, who knows how Belper would have developed," he Hill thanked the Belper Library Team, Belper Historical Society, Belper Town Council and Derbyshire County Council for their support.