Carbon dioxide (CO2) is Earth’s most important greenhouse gas, responsible for about two-thirds of the total heating influence of all human-produced greenhouse gases (Lindsey/NOAA Climate.gov, 2022). The last time atmospheric CO2 amounts were this high was more than 3 million years ago during the Mid-Pliocene Warm Period, a time when global surface temperature was 2.5–4°C (4.5–7.2°F) warmer than during the pre-industrial era and sea levels were at least 16 feet higher than they are today.
So are we making much progress in reining in atmospheric CO2? Apparently not, per this chart:
Bottom line: There’s no way we’re going to limit global warming to 1.5°C this century. What to do? Keep chipping away at emissions but focus more on adaptation and protecting endangered species.
Next: Human drivers of CO2 emissions, across regions and time.
Reference: Climate Change: Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide by Rebecca Lindsey/NOAA Climate.gov. June 23, 2022
Related post: As China, India and the US Go, So Goes the World: The Outlook on CO2 Emissions: