Concentration of CO2 in atmosphere hits record high: UN

Agence France-Presse ^ | 30 Oct 2017

[Olog-hai]

The concentration of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere has hit a new high, the UN said Monday, warning that drastic action is needed to achieve targets set by the Paris climate agreement.

“Concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere surged at a record-breaking speed in 2016 to the highest level in 800,000 years,” the World Meteorological Organization said.

“Globally averaged concentrations of CO₂ reached 403.3 parts per million in 2016, up from 400.00 ppm in 2015 because of a combination of human activities and a strong El Niño event,” it said.

The Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, the UN weather agency’s annual flagship report, tracks the content of dangerous gasses in the atmosphere in the post-industrial era (since 1750).

Researchers have “reliable, direct measurements” of CO₂ concentrations rates going back 800,000 years using air bubbles preserved in ice in places like Greenland and Antarctica, the head of WMO’s atmospheric environment research division, Oksana Tarasova, told reporters in Geneva.

But by studying fossilized material, the WMO also has rough estimates going back even further. …

[Reily]

The National Weather Service actually dates back to 1870. (Executive order President US Grant.) Back then I imagine all it was doing was recording temperature, barometric pressure, rainfall and wind direction/speed. It’s first director was one of the father’s of meteorology. Don’t remember his name.

[Olog-hai]

At least back then, their name was concurrent with actual weather.

[greeneyes]

LOL. Yes. Whenever any one talks about global warming concerns, I always tell them to plant a garden and some trees.

If they must demonstrate, they should oppose measures that take farmland out of production.

[palmer]

In the 1950's it became accepted that there was a steady rise in CO2. Pretty much correct that they weren't "looking" for "global warming" back then but they certainly had noticed it and connected it to CO2.

The difference between then and now is the CO2 measurements were science, and the current alarmist dogma and memes are part of the global warming agenda that has gone well beyond the bounds of science.

The CO2 measurements and the fossil burning attribution are still accepted science and have not been overturned or questioned in any substantial way. NOAA has picked up the facility at Mauna Loa but the measurements there remain the same accepted science being performed since the 50's. The remaining questions are mainly around attributing some amounts of the rise to changes in vegetation (e.g. burning the rain forests)

[Olog-hai]

Government science as “accepted science” is a problem.

Not to mention, the last eruption at Mauna Loa before the 1984 one was in 1950.