The climate crisis passed another alarming milestone in 2024: CO2 levels not only increased, but did so at the fastest rate ever recorded at the highly respected US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii. NOAA has tracked CO2 at the observatory since 1958, and just recorded the largest annual increase in history. Last year, CO2 concentrations surged by 3.5 parts per million (ppm), reaching 423.38 ppm.
This record-breaking rise is more than a statistic. It’s a really big deal: it shows CO2 levels are not just growing but accelerating. And we are on track for disastrous levels of warming in current lifetimes. While fossil fuel emissions were the primary driver, collapsing carbon sinks like forests and oceans were also a significant factor. Earth’s natural systems for CO2 absorption are no longer coping with humanity’s relentless emissions.
The science is clear: stabilising the climate means not just reducing emissions but doing so at an unprecedented scale and speed. But will we act in time?
Hi Gregory,
Thank you for spreading awareness of this crisis, I do appreciate your efforts.
In saying this, I do believe that difficult news, such as this, must be shared with messages of hope, or at least with actions one can take. I fear that if we don't do this we just leave the reader with despair, leading to inaction, if not apathy, which could be detrimental to the transformation we wish to see.
Regards, Alex