Member-only story
Greenhouse Gas Concentrations Are At Their Highest Levels in 2 Million Years
Global warming and rising sea levels are the new reality.
We ignore the warnings at our peril. Greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere are now at their highest levels in 2 million years, according to recent reports from the scientific community. This is a worrying sign for our planet and the future of life on it. Greenhouse gases are responsible for trapping heat in the atmosphere, which is leading to a steady rise in global temperatures. This phenomenon is known as the greenhouse effect, and it is causing widespread changes in climate patterns, sea levels, and weather events and threaten the lives of millions of residents of dozens of coastal cities around the world.
The primary greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. These gases are released into the atmosphere through human activities such as burning fossil fuels, deforestation, huge and growing landfills and intensive agriculture. As concentrations of these gases continue to rise, the planet is experiencing an increase in temperature. The average global temperature has already risen by 1.1°C since pre-industrial times, and scientists predict that it could rise by as much as 3.2°C by the end of this century.