Greenhouse Gas Update
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) just released their annual report on the global greenhouse gas situation. These results are for 2007.
In 2007, global atmospheric carbon dioxide increased by 0.6 % or 19 million tons. The global concentration is now at 385 parts per million. Pre-industrial levels hovered close to 280 parts per million until 1850.
Methane concentrations actually rose for the first time since 1998 with a total of 1,800 parts per billion. Methane is 25 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, but there is a lot less of it in the atmosphere as you can see. According to the report, methane's overall climate impact is half that of carbon dioxide.
Why did methane concentrations suddenly rise? NOAA suspects that the rapid rate of industrialization in Asia and rising wetland emissions in the Arctic and tropicical regions are the primary reason.
Annual Greenhouse gas Index
