Rising Carbon Dioxide Levels [UPSC Notes]

In May 2023, the annual increase of carbon dioxide levels measured at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Mauna Loa Atmospheric Baseline Observatory in Hawaii, USA reached a peak of 424 parts per million. In this article, we discuss more on the findings and how it will impact climate change. This topic is relevant for the IAS exam environment and ecology segment of GS paper III.

Record-breaking CO2 Levels

In May 2023, CO2 levels in the Earth’s atmosphere reached a new record high.

• Measurements obtained from atop a Hawaiian volcano showed that CO2 levels have spiked by over 50% compared to the start of the industrial age.

Causes of Rising CO2 Levels:

• Burning fossil fuels for electricity production, transportation, cement production, logging, farming, and other activities contribute to carbon dioxide pollution.
• CO2, like other greenhouse gases, absorbs heat from the Earth’s surface, causing extreme weather conditions such as heatwaves, droughts, wildfires, and flooding.

Impacts of Rising CO2 Levels

Rising CO2 levels pose a threat to marine ecosystems because the oceans absorb both CO2 and extra heat from the atmosphere.

• Increasing ocean temperatures, disruption of marine ecosystems, rising sea levels, and ocean acidification are some potential impacts.
• Ocean acidification alters seawater chemistry, lowers dissolved oxygen levels, and inhibits the growth of marine animals.

Charles David Keeling and the Keeling Curve:

• Charles David Keeling, a geoscientist at Scripps Oceanography, initiated on-site CO2 observations at the Mauna Loa weather station in 1958.
• Keeling noticed that CO2 levels decreased throughout the growing season in the Northern Hemisphere and increased when plants withered back in autumn.
• He recorded these variations, which became known as the Keeling Curve, and recognised the annual increase in CO2 levels.

Continuing Increase in CO2 Levels:

• The current surge represents an increase of 3.0 parts per million over May 2022, marking the fourth-largest annual increase in NOAA’s recorded data.

Impact:

• Climate change, driven by rising CO2 levels and other greenhouse gases, leads to various consequences such as heatwaves, droughts, flooding, wildfires, and disruptions to ecosystems.
• The need to reduce carbon pollution and mitigate the impacts of climate change becomes increasingly crucial for safeguarding the planet and its inhabitants.

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