Atmospheric Carbon Levels to Hit Unwelcome 2021 Milestone
- CO2 will be 50% above pre-industrial levels, says Met Office
- Covid-19 saw sharp drop in CO2 with little long term impact
Photographer: Kevin Frayer/Getty Images
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Global atmospheric carbon dioxide levels will be 50% higher this year than before the start of the Industrial Revolution, according to forecasts that show the rapid pace at which humans are polluting the atmosphere.
It took more than 200 years for the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere to grow 25% by the end of the 1980s. The majority of the damage has been wrought in the last 30 years as the pace of deforestation and burning of fossil fuels picked up rapidly.