Since mankind came to exist some 300,000 years ago, the content of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has never been as high as it is now—415 ppm. The measure of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was 200 ppm during the ice age. But since the Industrial Revolution in the 20th century, the amount of the greenhouse gas in the atmosphere has been going up at an alarming rate. While the proportion was at 218 ppm before the revolution, it reached 400 ppm by 2013, as recorded by Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii. But since then, it has remained at 400 ppm, never increasing, until May 11 this year when it reached a record high of 415 ppm, as measured by the same observatory.
It means that there are 415 molecules of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere for every million molecule of gas in the atmosphere—415 parts per million. Since industrialisation, there has been an increase of 1 degree Celsius ( 1.8 Fahrenheit) in the earth’s overall temperature. Dr Peter H. Gleick, a world renowned expert, innovator and communicator on water and climate issues, wrote on Twitter on May 13: “Atmospheric CO2 levels have now reached 415 ppm. The last time human experienced levels this high was… never. Humans didn’t exist.”
Jonathan Amos, the science/ space correspondent at BBC wrote that the last time earth’s atmosphere contained the amount of carbon dioxide present today, Antarctica was a plant-covered oasis, sea levels were an estimated 10 to 20 metres higher and global temperatures were an average of 2 to 3 degree Celsius warmer. In the Arctic, summer temperatures were a full 14 degrees higher than they are now.
Climatic change is also turning into an election propaganda in the US and in Australia where it is a “hot” subject. The Guardian now recommends terms such as “climate emergency, crisis or breakdown and global heating” rather than ‘climatic change’ because they want to sound scientifically precise, said the editor-in-chief Katharine Viner. “The phrase ‘climate change’, for example, sounds rather passive and gentle when what scientists are talking about is a catastrophe for humanity.”
George Carlin, the famous American comedian, said in his standup Euphemisms about how “people [Americans] have trouble facing the truth so they invent a kind of soft language to protect themselves from it”. Well then, It is high time that global “warming” got replaced with global “heating”.
Article Credit: TheWeek