Scientists have warned that action must be taken on climate change after carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have broken through a symbolic threshold. A US Government agency lab, which feeds its numbers into a continuous record of gas concentrations, said that its daily carbon dioxide readings have topped 400 parts per million for the first time.
The last time carbon dioxide levels were regularly this high was three to five million years ago, before modern humans existed. This news should "jolt governments into action" according to Sir Brian Hoskins, the head of climate change at the UK based Royal Society.
Ministers in the UK have claimed global leadership in reducing carbon dioxide emissions, and have urged other nations to follow suit. But the Climate Change Committee have argued that that UK's total contribution towards heating the climate had increased because it is importing goods that produce carbon dioxide in other countries.
Professor Sir Brian Hoskins said, "Before we started influencing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, over the last million years it went between about 180 and 280 parts per million. Now, since the Industrial Revolution and more in the last 50 years, we've taken that level up by more than 40% to a level of 400 and that hasn't been seen on this planet for probably four million years."
He added, "But around the world, there are things happening, it's not all doom and gloom. China is doing a lot. Its latest five year plan makes really great strides."
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