NOAA Reports Near-Record Growth in Carbon Dioxide Levels

Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have hit a new all-time high, with this year's annual increase being one of the largest on record, according to scientists from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The current amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is now 50% higher than it was before the industrial era. The rise in carbon dioxide levels is generated by burning fossil fuels for transportation and electrical generation, cement manufacturing, deforestation, agriculture, and many other practices. Carbon dioxide pollution amplifies extreme weather events, such as heat waves, drought, and wildfires, as well as precipitation and flooding.