| Atmosphere Monthly | February 2010 |
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February 2010 Another record broken for January CO2
As noted in Atmosphere Monthly in January 2010, the 2009 annual mean concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere was 387.35 ppm, up from 385.57 ppm in 2008. These rising levels are significantly higher than the natural range (~180 ppm to 300 ppm) that existed for at least 2.1 million years until the start of the industrial revolution. [reference]
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the chief human-made greenhouse gas that fuels global warming, climate change and ocean acidification. The main anthropogenic source of CO2 emissions is the use of fossil fuels for energy. Atmospheric CO2 levels continue to rise on a year-over-year basis because carbon emissions from human sources exceed the capacity of the land and oceans to absorb it. The absorbtion of CO2 by oceans is a natural process that both slows the rate of increase in atmosphere levels and adds carbonic acid to the oceans. More
January 2010: 388.63 parts per million (ppm) January 2000: 369.07 January 1959: 315.62 High-precision instrument readings started March 1958 at the Mauna Loa Observatory. >>> Full set of monthly data for atmospheric CO2 at the Mauna Loa Observatory
CO2 | Rate of IncreaseBased on the most recent data for the mean annual concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere, Atmosphere Monthly has calculated the average rate-of-increase as set out below. This includes the rate of change for the most recent calendar year. This information is available at Atmosphere Monthly years before the data is reported by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). To make the calculations, data is used from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Decade Annual Rate of Increase (Atmospheric CO2) 2000 – 2009 1.92 ppm 1990 – 1999 1.52 ppm 1980 – 1989 1.61 ppm 1970 – 1979 1.22 ppm 1960 – 1969 0.86 ppm The following is an excerpt from the 2007 Physical Science Basis report by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group:
Presented with the permission of Seppo Lenoinen. [see drawings in Finnish]
NOAA + Google = Planetary data visualizationNOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research and Google have signed a cooperative research and development agreement outlining how they will work together to create state-of-the-art visualizations of scientific data to illustrate how our planet works. Under the agreement, NOAA and Google plan to work together on research and development to join NOAA’s oceanographic, meteorological, biological, and climatological data with Google’s software capabilities. The wide availability of Google’s Internet tools has the potential to bring visualizations of NOAA data to new audiences around the world. NOAA | NOAA, Google join forces Bell Labs aims to make internet 1,000 times greener by 2015Bell Labs, the research arm of telecom giant Alcatel-Lucent, announced a "bold and daring" target today of overhauling the Internet and other communications networks so they are 1,000 times more energy efficient within five years. The amount of energy consumed by networks equates to 300 millions tons of planet-warming gases each year, about the same as 50 million automobiles. >>>>Solve Climate > Jan 11 2010 US Pentagon to rank global warming as destabilising forceSuzanne Goldenberg The Pentagon will for the first time rank global warming as a destabilising force, adding fuel to conflict and putting US troops at risk around the world...The quadrennial defence review, prepared by the Pentagon to update Congress on its security vision, will direct military planners to keep track of the latest climate science, and to factor global warming into their long term strategic planning. "While climate change alone does not cause conflict, it may act as an accelerant of instability or conflict, placing a burden on civilian institutions and militaries around the world," said a draft of the review seen by the Guardian. > The Guardian > Jan 31 2010 Global warming an Olympic worry, says RoggeOn the eve of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, the host city of Vancouver is experiencing unseasonal highs of 10C (50F). Global warming is starting to worry the International Olympic Committee. "Global warming of course is a worry, it is a worry for the entire world," Rogge said. "Global warming is definitely a factor that must be taken into account in Olympic preparations," he said. "In awarding the event to a host city, we must look at the climate and snow conditions and geography, as well as ways to alleviate any lack of snow." >>>> Yahoo! Canada (AFP) > Feb 8 2010 The end of magical climate thinkingT Nordhaus & Michael Schellenberger One year ago, America's president said he was going to start a green-energy revolution. Here's why the Obama administration failed -- and what needs to come next.
China reports record-high temperatures for TibetThe average temperature in the Tibet autonomous region was 5.9 C last year, 1.5 C higher than normal and a record high in almost four decades. >>>> China Daily > Feb 5 2010 Arctic permafrost leaking methane at record levelsDavid Adam Experts say methane emissions from the Arctic have risen by almost one-third in just five years, and that sharply rising temperatures are to blame. >>>> Guardian > Jan 14 2010 Pine Island glacier prompts fresh look at sea-level forecastsDavid Spratt New research suggests that two collapsing West Antarctic glaciers could, by themselves, add another half a metre to sea levels this century. >>>> Climate Code Red > Jan 24 2010 Stratospheric water vapour as global warming wild card"Current climate models do a remarkable job on water vapor near the surface. But this is different -- it's a thin wedge of the upper atmosphere that packs a wallop from one decade to the next in a way we didn't expect," says Susan Solomon, NOAA senior scientist and first author of the study. >>>> Science Daily > Feb 1 2010 Are the oceans choking on CO2?
Photo of Francois Primeau.
New method of measuring ocean CO2 uptakeAn international team of scientists led by the University of East Anglia (UEA) has developed a new method of measuring the absorption of CO2 by the oceans and mapped for the first time CO2 uptake for the entire North Atlantic. Published December 4 in the journal Science, the peer-reviewed study will greatly improve our understanding of the natural ocean 'sinks' and enable more accurate predictions about how the global climate is changing. >>>>Science Daily > Jan 11 2010 What if our air was 30% more acidic like the oceans?Stephen Leahy What would it be like if the air we breathe was 30 percent more acidic? The oceans are already 30 percent more acidic, and on their way to becoming 120 percent more acidic in 50 years at the current rates of carbon dioxide emissions. >>>> StephenLeahy.net > Jan 11 2010 Wall Street Journal: So long and thanks for all the fishJoseph Romm No, the WSJ ain’t goin’ nowhere. Just Keith Johnston’s Environmental Capital blog and its analysis of “the business of the environment.” Environmental blogger Joseph Romm laments the loss of “this timely source of information on energy and environmental issues” and wonders whether >>>>Climate Progress > Jan 14 2010 | >>>>Wall Street Journal - Keith Johnson > Jan 14 2010 Revkin on ‘communicating climate change’Tim Hurst Former New York Times science writer Andrew Revkin discusses advocating for reality, slow-drip problems and a looming murk in the media’s coverage of climate change... >>>>Energy Collective > Jan 12 2010 UK’s Chief Scientist: Climate change researchers must be more openJohn Beddington: "Scepticism and criticism is the way science grows. Where at all possible, data and analyses should be available so that people can do the challenging in an unhindered way." >>>> Guardian > Feb 3 2010 As the world burns
Excerpt "...the months of backroom deal-making had succeeded in diluting the climate bill and loading it up with tax breaks and subsidies for industry. By the time it came to the floor on June 26th, the measure clocked in at more than 1,400 pages. The all-important target for reducing carbon pollution by 2020 had been cut from 20 percent to 17 percent. The goals for boosting renewable energy were cut nearly in half. The EPA's authority to regulate carbon emissions had been gutted. And instead of auctioning off all pollution permits, as Obama had promised during the campaign, the bill gave 83 percent of them away for free — up to half of them, in the near term, to industrial polluters." >>>> Rolling Stone > Jan 6 2010
AFP / Yahoo! News | Drought in SW Australia linked to snowfall in Antarctica MIT Technology Review | US solar market to double in next year Science Daily | Looks, feels and tastes like chicken, but it’s soy Science Daily | Bubbles in oceans have oceanic, planetary importance Science Daily | Worldwide nitrogen deficit constrains CO2 uptake by plants Science Daily | Will earlier springs throw nature out of step? Science Daily | Prior glacial melt estimates reduced, recent melt accelerating dramatically SolveClimate | Where’s Google putting its money? SolveClimate | California launches statewide emissions monitoring -- methane first Sydney Morning Herald | Canadian Arctic melt worse than pessimistic models UNESCO | 2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity
The Maldives: A climate leader among nations Michael McGee for Atmosphere Monthly Since the Copenhagen climate conference ended in December 2009, national leaders have been sending their country's new emissions reduction targets and planned climate actions to the UNFCCC Secretariat . At the UNFCCC website, you can read the 2020 emissions targets of participating industrialized countries, and the mitigation actions of participating developing countries. Most media attention is given to industrialized countries and the larger developing countries. For a moment, let's press the "pause button" and consider the actions of the Maldives, a developing nation with about 350,000 people. After the Copenhagen climate conference in December 2009, the Maldives was quick to associate itself with the Copenhagen Accord, despite its imperfections. Then, on January 29, 2010, the nation sent a letter stating its commitment to achieve "carbon neutrality as a country by 2020." This is not as a government. It is as a country. The Maldives calls its pledge "voluntary and unconditional." The leaders say theywill meet the pledge whether or not financial aid is received. That is a clear, no-excuses commitment on a short timeline. The Maldives is a nation of small islands on the front lines of climate change. Government leaders appear motivated to meet, if not exceed their commitment. Their example offers a benchmark to pay attention to. Below is an excerpt from the pledge that was transmitted from the Maldives to the Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC on January 29, 2010.
UNFCCC | Letter of Jan 29 2010 from the Maldives Government to the UNFCCC Secretariat UNFCCC | Note Verbale of Dec. 19 2010 from the Maldives Government to the UNFCC Secretariat UNFCCC | RELEASE: UNFCCC receives list of government climate pledges | Feb 2 2010 UNFCCC | 2020 economy-wide emissions targets for industrialized countries UNFCCC | National mitigation actions of developing countries UNFCCC | Copenhagen Accord | Dec 18 2009
Carrying a 'climate solutions' torch to the 2010 Winter Games Michael McGee for Atmosphere Monthly The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay started with an Olympic Flame lighting ceremony in Olympia, Greece, on October 22, 2009. The torch arrived in Canada on October 30, in Victoria, British Columbia. That marked the beginning of the Torch's 106-day journey across Canada....by land, air and water across the country's ten provinces and three territories that make up Canada. It is the longest Winter Games torch relay in Olympic history. Click here to see an incredible photo-log of the cross-Canada Torch Relay at Boston.com.
Berman was chosen one of the torchbearers to carry the flame in Vancouver, British Columbia on one of the last days of the Torch Relay. She carried the Olympic Torch on an electric scooter to shine light on her organization's vision to promote zero emissions technologies and the mass electrification of, well, practically everything in Canada. Berman blogged about the experience at zerocarboncanada.ca, saying that it was “a good opportunity to get people that aren’t normally dialed into the climate crisis thinking about zero emissions vehicles.” She hopes to get people thinking about “electrifying transportation and especially to start talking about the massive electrification project that’s going to be needed.” Below is an excerpt from her blog of February 5, 2010:
The 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games are being hosted in Vancouver, Whistler and Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, starting February 12, 2010. More media links: Vancouver Sun | Environmental crusader rides scooter with torch Boston.com | Photo-log of the Canadian Olympic Torch journey
"It’s fair to say that Copenhagen did not deliver the full agreement that the world needs to address the collective climate change challenge...the window of opportunity that we have to come to grips with this issue is closing faster than it was before."
UNFCCC | VIDEO & SUMMARY: Copenhagen outcomes and the way forward | Jan 20 2010
John Heilprin Janos Pasztor, the top climate adviser to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, however, said the commitments, which largely reaffirm their previous pledges, make it highly unlikely the world can meet the goal set at the Copenhagen climate conference of preventing temperatures from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above preindustrial levels. >>>> Forbes.com > Feb 1 2010
The latest countries to brush off Copenhagen Accord Stacey Feldman China, India, South Africa and Brazil — the so-called BASIC bloc of nations — said the nonbinding deal that came out of the Copenhagen climate summit was just a "political understanding" and that future climate negotiations must not be based on that plan. >>>> SolveClimate.org > Jan 25 2010
The following presentation on the Science of Climate Change was provided by the Center for American Progress. The main presentation is 90 minutes and features two authors of the 4th IPCC reports (International Panel on Climate Change). The other two videos are between 5 and 8 minutes each. Click here to access the three videos, consolidated at CO2Now.org.
Nelson Daily News is world's first local newspaper to print CO2 data It’s a first for the Nelson Daily News in its 108-year history. It’s a first for CO2Now.org. In all likelihood, it’s a first for the world. Atmospheric CO2 levels are now published every week in a local community newspaper.
The “printed carbon counter” is a brand new concept for traditional media. For the people of Nelson, British Columbia (Canada), it’s a community bulletin that displays the latest CO2 measurements, almost as soon as scientists make them in the atmosphere. The weekly publication of the CO2Now carbon counter is made possible by Burke Jones, a real estate agent in the Nelson area, who sponsors the page space. It’s another way to raise the visibility of this objective and vital data for planet Earth. If you are a publisher or local advertiser who wants to make atmospheric CO2 levels visible to the readers of your newspaper, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .
The image above is one of the first “printed carbon counter” designs. (Click here to see the carbon counter in a larger size.) To see the latest carbon counter in its natural habitat, visit beautiful Nelson, British Columbia, and pick up a Monday edition of the Nelson Daily News. (You may just want to talk to Burke about finding a nice place where you can settle down.) More information about the carbon counter is provided below. Nelson Daily News | Carbon counter in NDN keeps eye on environment
This edition of Atmosphere Monthly is proudly sponsored by Netscribe Communications Inc.,
The Atmosphere Monthly newsletter and CO2Now.org exist to make the latest CO2 information visible far and wide. Take advantage of these tools that make it easy to keep an eye on CO2 and share it with others. Get grounded in the data | Get to know the CO2 trend. Display CO2 | Place a CO2Now widget at your site: easily share the latest CO2 data with your visitors. Print | 'Copy and paste' a CO2Now graphic in your newspaper or newsletter. Tweet | Follow CO2 data and updates @CO2Now on Twitter Contrbute | See a way to help our site improve? Suggestions are welcome. Subscribe to Atmosphere Monthly | Get the most current CO2 updates by email, straight from the atmosphere.
Atmospheric CO2 data that is presented in Atmosphere Monthly and CO2Now.org is public information available from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in the United States. The work of these and other other scientific institutions worldwide is appreciatively acknowledged.
This publication republishes and distributes scientific data so it is more visibile and accessible. These activities aim to support the work of others who seek to understand, monitor and help solve planetary problems such as ocean acidification, global warming and climate change. The "ultimate objective" behind these activities is much the same as that of 194 signatory countries to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC): to stabilize the concentration of greenhouse gases at a safe level in the atmosphere. This work will not be done before atmospheric CO2 concentrations stabilze and start to fall back toward safe and natural concentrations.
Atmosphere Monthly is a free, monthly email publication distributed worldwide by Pro Oxygen of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It is the official newsletter for the CO2Now.org website. Atmosphere Monthly and CO2Now.org are produced independently by private individuals on a part-time basis. Atmosphere Monthly and CO2Now.org are hosted on web servers powered directly by solar energy. Michael McGee
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Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii (USA) Atmospheric CO2 was 388.63 parts per million (ppm) in the first month of 2010, according to scientific data released February 10, 2010, by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the United States. Atmospheric CO2 was 386.92 ppm one year earlier in January 2009. 
Pat Brennan Earth’s oceans may be losing their ability to absorb carbon dioxide, the worst of the human-generated greenhouse gases believed to drive global warming, according to a new study co-authored by a 
Jeff Goodell How Big Oil and Big Coal mounted one of the most aggressive lobbying campaigns in history to block progress on global warming 
Every torch bearer has a story to tell. This short article is about 
Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary to the UNFCCC:
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