Another year, another record high for greenhouse gases

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http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/09/09/another-year-another-record-high-for-greenhouse-gases/



Another year, another record high for greenhouse gases
By Climate Central
Tuesday, September 9, 2014 11:12 EDT

The numbers are in and in case there was any doubt, 2013 was another recordsetting year for greenhouse gases. The atmosphere is home to more warming gases than at any other point since industrialization. And carbon dioxide, the main culprit, is causing oceans to acidify at a rate unseen in at least 300 million years.



The news comes courtesy of the World Meteorological Organization’s annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, released Tuesday. The report tracks carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and other greenhouse gases at dozens of monitoring stations around the world and provides a snapshot of how humans are changing the planet.

Greenhouse gases from human sources have contributed to a 1.8°F rise in the global average temperature since the start of the Industrial Revolution as well as a host of other changes from rising seas to shrinking sea ice. Emissions have also contributed to a rise in the acidity of the ocean, which could have long-lasting consequences for marine ecosystems and food security.

Of those greenhouse gases, CO2 is the grandaddy. Since 1990, it has accounted for 80 percent of the earth’s increased heat-trapping ability. In 2013, the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere crossed 400 parts per million (ppm) for the first time in human history. It also crossed that threshold again earlier this year, staying there for three months.