Atmospheric CO₂ concentrations are surging, even as emissions level out. Natural carbon sinks are showing signs of faltering as we continue to emit CO₂.
- Senior Research Scientist, CSIRO
New data from a NASA satellite show in unprecedented detail the flow of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Future satellites should even be able to detect the signatures of individual power stations.
While the gases most responsible for global warming - carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide - continue to climb, other industrial greenhouse gases are being brought gradually under control.
When temperatures dipped between 1500 and 1750, the world’s landscapes responded by storing more carbon. Now, with temperatures climbing, it’s possible they will do the opposite and release even more.
