<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/oct/15/record-leap-in-co2-fuels-fears-of-accelerating-global-heating>
"Levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere soared by a record amount in 2024
to hit another high, UN data shows, deepening the climate crisis that is
already taking lives and livelihoods across the world.
Scientists are worried that the natural land and ocean “sinks” that remove CO₂
from the air are weakening as a result of global heating, which could form a
vicious circle and drive temperatures up even faster.
The global average concentration of the gas surged by 3.5 parts per million to
424ppm in 2024, the largest increase since modern measurements started in 1957,
according to the report by the World Meteorological Organization.
Several factors contributed to the leap in CO₂, including another year of
unrelenting fossil fuel burning despite a pledge by the world’s countries in
2023 to “transition away” from coal, oil and gas. Another factor was an upsurge
in wildfires in conditions made hotter and drier by global heating. Wildfire
emissions in the Americas reached historic levels in 2024, which was the
hottest year yet recorded.
However, scientists are concerned about a third factor: the possibility that
the planet’s carbon sinks are beginning to fail. About half of all CO₂
emissions every year are taken back out of the atmosphere by being dissolved in
the ocean or being sucked up by growing trees and plants. But the oceans are
getting hotter and can therefore absorb less CO₂ while on land hotter and drier
conditions and more wildfires mean less plant growth.
Carbon sinks were already known to be less effective in El Niño years such as
2023 and 2024, when changes in Pacific winds and ocean currents lead to higher
global air temperatures. But human-caused global heating has already raised the
average world temperatures by about 1.3C and researchers, who recorded an
“unprecedented failure of the land sink” in 2023 and 2024, fear this may be
weakening the sinks."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
