According to measurements taken by the Norwegian Polar Institute, levels of atmospheric carbon hit a new high last December of 392 parts-per-million (ppm), up 2-3 ppm from the same time last year. Many leading climate scientists, including NASA’s James Hansen, have called for a reduction of CO2 concentration to 350 ppm as the only way to avoid the worst potential consequences of climate change.
The rise is in line with the long-term trend,” said Kim Holmen, the research director at the Institute.
Holmen added that it is too early to tell whether the global economic slowdown would result in a reduction of CO2.
It’s too early to make that call,” he said, adding that any such change would be hard to detect.
Read the full Reuters story: “CO2 hits new peaks, no sign global crisis causing dip“
