Human based activity may boost atmospheric CO2 in 2021: Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will rise to levels 50% greater in 2021 than before the industrial revolution, because of human induced emissions.
That’s as reported by a new paper by the Met Office, that expects CO2 levels will surpass 417 parts per million (ppm) for several weeks from the months of April to June.
The UK’s national weather service says that carbon dioxide concentration this year will exceed the estimated 278 parts per million believed to have happened in the late eighteenth century when extensive industrial activity started.
The study stresses the growth is primarily driven by emissions from fossil fuel burning & deforestation.
Professor Richard Betts stated: “Since carbon dioxide stays in the atmosphere for a very long time, each year’s emissions add to those from previous years and cause the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to keep increasing.
“Although the Covid-19 pandemic meant that 7% less carbon dioxide was emitted worldwide in 2020 than in previous years, that still added to the ongoing build-up in the atmosphere.
“The human-caused build-up of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is accelerating. It took over 200 years for levels to increase by 25%, but now just over 30 years later we are approaching a 50% increase.”
Human based activity may boost atmospheric CO2 in 2021
