Measurements of carbon dioxide, the main human-caused greenhouse gas, averaged as much as 17% in April , a brief decline due to the coronavirus pandemic.
However, the world has already hit another new emissions record, so reductions over a few months have not had a large overall effect.
23 million years
Records with direct measurements date back to 1958. And carbon dioxide levels are now nearly 100 parts per million higher than they were then. That’s a 31% increase in 62 years . And they do not stop growing.
According to Pieter Tans , chief scientist at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office:
That illustrates how difficult it is and the enormous work that goes into reducing emissions. We have really been emitting a great deal of heat to Earth for a long time.
Carbon dioxide levels reach their maximum point in the month of May because as of June the plants (main consumers of carbon dioxide) enter the growth stage and absorb more of this gas .
Thus, a new study by Brian Schubert (University of Louisiana at Lafayette) concludes that current levels of carbon dioxide are actually higher than they have been in the last 23 million years .