SURGE IN GREENHOUSE GAS LEVELS

New figures from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) show the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increased last year at the fastest rate for nearly 30 years.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-29115845

The WMO bulletin shows the globally averaged amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reached 396 parts per million (ppm) in 2013, an increase of almost 3 ppm over the previous year.

The bulletin records how much of the warming gases remain in the atmosphere after the complex interactions that take place between the air, the land and the oceans. About half of all emissions are taken up by the seas, trees and living things.

Michel Jarraud, secretary general of the WMO, said: 'We must reverse this trend by cutting emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases across the board. We are running out of time.'

Commenting on findings that global average temperatures have not risen in concert with the sustained growth in CO2, WMO research chief Oksana Tarasova explained 'The climate system is not linear, it is not straightforward. It is not necessarily reflected in the temperature of the atmosphere, but if you look at the temperature profile in the ocean, the heat is going in the oceans.'

Comment: This WMO report adds further to the evidence of increasing greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere, and the urgent need for global political action to confront this problem.