World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Michael Jarroud warns that greenhouse gas emissions have reached a record high, and that "Future emissions will only compound the situation."
Jarroud states, "Until now, carbon sinks have absorbed nearly half of the carbon dioxide humans emitted in the atmosphere, but this will not necessarily continue in the future. We have already seen that the oceans are becoming more acidic as a result of the carbon dioxide uptake, with potential repercussions for the underwater food chain and coral reefs."
He adds, "There are many additional interactions between greenhouse gases, Earth's biosphere and oceans, and we need to boost our monitoring capability and scientific knowledge in order to better understand these."
The organization's most recent press release reveals that there has been a 30% increase in the warming of our climate between 1990 and 2011.
"These billions of tonnes of additional carbon dioxide in our atmosphere will remain there for centuries, causing our planet to warm further and impacting on all aspects of life on Earth," said the Secretary-General.
According to the report, there were 390 parts per million of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere as of 2011, which equates to 140% of pre-industrial levels of 280 parts per million.
The WMO's network, which spreads over 50 countries, allows the organization to gather an expansive range of readings worldwide.
The statement reads, "The pre-industrial era level represented a balance of CO2 fluxes between the atmosphere, the oceans and the biosphere. The amount of CO2 in the atmosphere has increased on average by 2 parts per million per year for the past 10 years."
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