Source: Earth System Research Laboratory, NOAA
Atmospheric carbon dioxide continued its rapid rise in 2019, with the average for May peaking at 414.7 parts per million (ppm) at NOAA’s Mauna Loa Atmospheric Baseline Observatory.
The measurement is the highest seasonal peak recorded in 61 years of observations on top of Hawaii’s largest volcano and the seventh consecutive year of steep global increases in concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2), according to data published June 4, 2019, by NOAA and Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
fascinating… and horrifying…
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I wish I could share your fascination, Geoff. I see only the horror.
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I’m always seduced by science…
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🙂
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We seem to be at a point when a lot of everything else doesn’t seem so important.
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It seems that way to me, too, Kim. Our continued survival will depend upon our relationship with each other and with Mother Nature.
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When will humans ever learn? And take real actions?
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When we stop behaving like kids playing with matches.
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American troops sent to Europe during WWII were issued gas masks, since poison gas had been used by the enemy in WWI. My dad returned home with his own, which soon disappeared. The enemy has changed, the battle is different. Will civilians require similar equipment?
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Dr. Stein, only the gods know what we’ll need when our world falls into chaos. Gas masks are useless against nuclear bombs, if used.
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Human nature being what it is, most folks won’t change until it affects them personally, by that point in time it may be too late to make a major difference.. there are folks south of here who are up to their armpits in water starting to think that climate change is real after all… 🙂
The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom”. Isaac Asimov
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So true, Dutch. The time has long passed for us to stop the melting ice caps and glaciers. Sea levels will continue to rise. No amount of denial about our climate crisis will change the reality. In our pursuit of happiness and instant, self-gratification, we have neglected the pursuit of wisdom and truth.
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And no government big enough to make a difference seems to have the slightest worry about it. If just four or five gross polluters made a change it would make a big difference
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John, as I see it, Earth’s leading nations are too preoccupied with their political games for maintaining power and supremacy.
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Rosaliene,
You know I’m concerned about the environmental, but I still claim CO2 is not the primary culprit. CO2 is part of the natural life cycle. If it’s rising, it could be due as much to deforestation and the destruction of formerly green areas for highways, parking lots, housing developments, cities, war and international shipping.
Environmental toxins may contribute to the destruction and disease of plant life as much as to animal and human life. Why are Americans so sickly? CO2 is not toxic, but plastic, pesticides, herbicides, and the chemicals we eat or slather on our faces as cosmetics are (and plastic is a petroleum-derived product, in any case).
Governments will not solve the problem. Governments cause or contribute to the problem with perverse incentives for wasteful consumerism. Individuals can help become part of the solutions by not buying the products the major polluters produce, and that includes more government.
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Katharine, as long as our governments continue to put the interests of the corporate elite ahead of the 99 Percent of the world’s population, they will not be able to stand together to address our climate crisis as they did in defeating Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler.
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Rosaliene,
They stand together to support the corporate elite, but claim they are doing it for the people. The government is composed of the elite and would-be elite, who can’t seem to grasp they are poisoning themselves, too.
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Katharine, I don’t think they are concerned about poisoning themselves, too. They probably plan to retreat to their luxurious bunkers when societies implode worldwide.
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Rosaliene,
I don’t think anyone fully appreciates that when the air, water, and air are poisoned, even luxurious bunkers will not protect them. I guess there is a demand for spaceship travel and freezing bodies to await the immortality potion, but those measures will cost immeasurably, so where’s the benefit?
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Wish I knew the answer, Katharine.
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important to share this, Rosaliene!
aww, to bring our awareness
with a calm, determined compassion.
perhaps we can push the presidential candidates
to all have to speak to climate change, despite my reading
that the topic was off limits during upcoming debates 😦
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David, calm and determined compassion are much needed for what we now face. Our corporate-controlled politicians are so focused on either staying in power or regaining power that they ignore the obvious: No economy can exist, much less continue growing, outside of the web of life.
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i’m with you, Rosaliene!
if only there were fewer people
and their economics was in harmony
with the ecology and all other beings 🙂
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I agree with katherineotto Rosaliene – though it all adds up to self destruction however we label it. Again I say don’t waste time on politicians, they are the last ones to wake up, vote with feet and dollars and look to where the little people are making a difference. All is not lost!
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Pauline, I agree that our survival will depend on aligning ourselves with others of like mind who are making a difference. However, I believe that our success or failure in dealing with the climate crisis, already underway, will depend upon the entire resources and mobilization of our governments and international non-governmental organizations worldwide.
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Dear Rosaliene, I’m going to participate in the following tree growing project. Although I hope some doubts about it, I believe that likely it is real, not a fraud. At least I hope that they plant trees they declare. On the other hand, it is international & supported by numerous serious organizations, so it might be worthy. I would like to learn your opinion.
Best wishes,
Have a nice week!
Maria
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Maria, this is the first time I’m learning about this organization. Their goal is a good one, but I have no idea if their work is having an impact.
Since I have no knowledge about the legitimacy of this organization, I’ve removed the link from your comment.
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Legitimacy seems to be OK, as it functions in the EU and approved by local governments. Well, I will join them and we will see. They don’t demand much money, so even if I lose 100 euros, no problem. In any case we should seek for those who think about the environment.
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Great. Do share your experience with us.
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Of course, I will, my dear friend! If I find something else on the topic, I will also let you know. 🙂
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Thanks, Maria 🙂
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🙂
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“Up, up and away
My beautiful, my beautiful [CO2] balloon”
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Crazy, eh?
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Which Presidential candidate running in 2020 do you think would best address this problem?
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James, I’m biased as I support both Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. I’ve read that Washington Governor Jay Inslee was the first Democratic contender to call for a debate solely on the climate crisis and has promised to make it his top priority, if elected. I know nothing about him, and plan to follow his position on other issues during the debates.
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Why not Harris?
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James, I was unaware of her position on the climate crisis. She merits a closer look after her recent performance at the DNC debate.
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I just skimmed through the news stories available on my phone and saw nothing about this. It should be the biggest headline. Thank you for bringing attention to this crucial issue.
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I agree, JoAnna, it should be the biggest headline. The Mainstream Media is failing us with its silence on the climate crisis.
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It sure is.
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Scary stuff. This is the information that should be screaming from headlines across the world.
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I agree, Shift. It’s to be expected from an administration that denies there’s a climate crisis and a complicit corporate-controlled Mainstream Media.
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You got that right. Hopefully more people will wake up. It’s insane to think that most people today have been conditioned to base their life philosophy on fear – fear of losing their job, fear of losing their money & possessions, fear of people who look different, fear of change and when we have something worthy of fearing – a reasonable possibility of losing most life forms on the planet – people aren’t afraid. Insanity.
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Fear has always been the controlling force used by totalitarian, imperialistic systems. Homelessness, imprisonment, torture, burnings, crucifixions, mass executions, enslavement, genocide and war and more war. We can always pretend that is ‘fake history’ and fake news if that’s what it takes to sleep better.
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We’re so terrified of reality we allow the control freaks to make up a new one every few years.
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Insanity, indeed!
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This is such a great post, Rosaliene – folks think they’re too small to do anything, but I believe that if we each do as much as we can, that will go far
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Thanks for dropping by 🙂
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Ah this is so sad! Thank you for posting this getting info and awareness out there is crucial!
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