Holy moly! Our carbon dioxide levels are rising, really rising! Every year there is a new high, and this year is no exception.
According to NASA, in May at the Mauna Observatory in Hawaii the carbon dioxide measurement was 421 ppm. It's called the "global atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration". This week the reading at Mauna Launa Observatory is 423.96 ppm. It's going up! And yup, this is climate change.
From the NASA Global Climate Change page on Carbon Dioxide (go to the link to see the graphs, and prepare to be shocked).
Carbon Dioxide LATEST MEASUREMENT: May 2023 421 ppm
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is an important heat-trapping gas, or greenhouse gas, that comes from the extraction and burning of fossil fuels (such as coal, oil, and natural gas), from wildfires, and from natural processes like volcanic eruptions.
Since the beginning of industrial times (in the 18th century), human activities have raised atmospheric CO2 by 50% – meaning the amount of CO2 is now 150% of its value in 1750. This is greater than what naturally happened at the end of the last ice age 20,000 years ago.
The animated map shows how global carbon dioxide has changed over time. Note how the map changes colors as the amount of CO2 rises from 365 parts per million (ppm) in 2002 to over 400 ppm currently. (“Parts per million” refers to the number of carbon dioxide molecules per million molecules of dry air.) These measurements are from the mid-troposphere, the layer of Earth's atmosphere that is 8 to 12 kilometers (about 5 to 7 miles) above the ground.
One big concern that needs to be addressed: What will high carbon dioxide levels do to our thinking processes? Over the years carbon dioxide levels have been rising, and are now at levels not experienced in several million years!
Think of a "stuffy room" where it is harder to think - this can already occur starting at about 600 ppm of CO2, and known to occur at 945 ppm and higher (in rooms with many people in them). While current CO2 levels are below that, we are faced with the possibility that if they keep rising we will get there eventually - and there will be no escape from the "stuffy room" feeling!
Yes, there is research on this topic - studies suggest that at high levels of carbon dioxide our thinking gets worse. A University of Colorado study reports that a growing body of evidence finds that as CO2 levels increase, there are effects on thinking (cognitive functioning), including decision making, planning, and complex strategic thinking. As carbon dioxide levels rise to 945 ppm and higher, the effects are even more significant, especially with mentally demanding tasks.
There are also physical effects of rising carbon dioxide exposure in humans: increased CO2 in the lungs, in the blood, and in the brain (which is associated with reduced oxygen and brain activity), increased sleepiness and anxiety (both of which harm cognitive function), and acidosis (lowered blood pH - which leads to symptoms such as restlessness and a rise in blood pressure). One study in juvenile rats found "reduced levels of neuroprotective growth factor", which harmed brain development and impaired learning and memory.
What about babies and children? Developing fetuses? The elderly? The sick? All unknown. Also, studies looking at effects are short term, but our future (if not changed) will have us exposed to higher and higher levels of CO2 all the time.
Further information: Scientists from NOAA and Scripps Institution of Oceanography monitor the values at the Mauna Loa Observatory and found that monthly carbon dioxide (CO2) values at Mauna Loa first breached the 400 ppm threshold in 2014. Go look at the graph and click on all the links. Yes, it's scary unless we all make a huge effort to cut global CO2 emissions.