Protection of the climate - Specialists claim that the rate of increase in carbon dioxide levels is unprecedented.
The greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) is piling up in the atmosphere at an unprecedented rate, according to recent studies.
New data from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Washington and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California in San Diego reveals that CO2 levels are now higher than at any other point in human history. From January to April this year, CO2 levels rose faster than in the first four months of any previous year, NOAA and Scripps researchers noted.
In May, the CO2 concentration at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii hit a seasonal high of almost 427 parts per million (426.90 ppm). This is a jump of 2.9 ppm compared to May 2023 and the fifth largest annual increase in the 50-year history of NOAA, according to the report.
Cause for concern
"We've just experienced the hottest year on record, the hottest ocean temperatures ever, and a never-ending series of heatwaves, droughts, floods, forest fires, and storms," said NOAA Director Rick Spinrad. "Now we discover that CO2 levels in the atmosphere are increasing at the fastest rate ever." This is a cause for alarm - the use of fossil fuels needs to be reduced as urgently as possible.
"CO2 is like trash in a landfill," explained Ralph Keeling, director of the Scripps CO2 Program. "The levels are now both unprecedentedly high and rising faster than ever before."
Investment in the oil and gas sector is on the rise
The International Energy Agency (IEA) is calling for more investments in clean energy, particularly in developing and emerging countries. While two-thirds of the expected global investments in the energy sector in 2024 - approximately €2.8 billion - are set to go towards clean energy including nuclear power, there are still imbalances and inadequacies in funding.
The IEA predicts that global investments in the oil and gas industry will increase by seven percent this year to €524 billion, after having risen by a similar amount in 2023. The boost in expenditure will be mainly attributable to national oil companies in the Middle East and Asia.
"Russian Roulette"
As a response to numerous climate reports showcasing alarming data on rapidly advancing global warming, the United Nations demanded drastic action on Wednesday. "We're playing Russian roulette with our planet," said UN Secretary-General António Guterres in a major climate speech in New York. "We need to stop driving down the road to climate disaster."
Guterres urged boycotting the funding and advertising of industries that profit from fossil fuels such as gas, oil, and coal. Governments should outlaw advertising by these industries, and financial institutions should instead fund renewable energy.
Similar to other greenhouse gases, CO2 acts like a blanket in the atmosphere and prevents the heat emitted by the atmosphere from escaping to space, causing it to warm up. This warming leads to extreme weather events such as heatwaves, droughts, and forest fires, as well as stronger rainfall and flooding. "Nearly half of the CO2 that humans release into the air stays in the atmosphere. The other half is absorbed on the surface of the Earth, with approximately equal amounts going to land and sea."
