Greenhouse gases reach highest recorded levels in over 3 million years

According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Earth has reached a new high in the concentration of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere; CO₂ in the atmosphere reached 407.8 parts per millions this past year, up from 405.5 parts per million in 2017. This trend is consistent with recent years, but slightly higher than previous decades, according to the WMO.

WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas released a statement trying to put these numbers into a perspective that even a Republican could understand: “It is worth recalling that the last time the Earth experienced a comparable concentration of CO₂ was 3-5 million years ago. Back then, the temperature was 2-3°C warmer, sea level was 10-20 meters higher than now.”

Climate scientist Pep Canadell tells CNET that for now, the concentration records we are breaking will continue annually, "I can tell you they're going to go up next year and the following one and then the next decade and the following decade. It's not until you bring those emissions to zero that you can begin to inspire stabilization in the atmosphere."

Our current administration is trying to figure out ways to extend the fossil fuel industry’s lifespan. The next administration must not simply fix that damage, they must turn this ship 180 degrees in the other direction.