Our Mission Statement:
To reduce global carbon dioxide
to pre-industrial levels
A NASA climate scientist explains the problem in
“A Year in the Life of Earth’s CO2”
(credit NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center)
“There is no time to wait“
– The IPCC 2022
REAL-TIME AND HISTORICAL CO2 LEVELS
This graph features atmospheric CO2 levels that combine measurements from as far back as 800,000 years up to the present day with an atmospheric temperature overlay option
Time Left
to
Reduce Global
Temperature Rate
That’s how fast the Carbon Clock is ticking
The MCC Carbon Clock shows how much CO2 can be released into the atmosphere to limit global warming to a maximum of 1.5°C and 2°C, respectively. With just one click, you can compare the estimates for both temperature targets and see how much time is left in each scenario
RUBISCO -OUR SOLUTION
Why we need to reduce Carbon Dioxide Levels
CO2 traps heat radiating from the planet’s surface that would otherwise escape into space, causing the planet’s atmosphere to warm steadily, which unleashes a cascade of weather impacts, including episodes of extreme heat, drought and wildfire activity, as well as heavier precipitation, flooding and tropical storm activity.
Impacts to the world’s oceans from greenhouse gas pollution include increasing sea surface temperatures, rising sea levels, and an increased absorption of carbon, which makes sea water more acidic, leads to ocean deoxygenation, and makes it more difficult for some marine organisms to survive.
Prior to the Industrial Revolution, CO2 levels were consistently around 280 ppm for almost 6,000 years of human civilization. Since then, humans have generated an estimated 1.5 trillion tons of CO2 pollution, much of which will continue to warm the atmosphere for thousands of years.
CO2 levels are now comparable to the Pliocene Climatic Optimum, between 4.1 and 4.5 million years ago, when they were close to, or above 400 ppm. During that time, sea levels were between 5 and 25 meters higher than today high enough to drown many of the world’s largest modern cities. Temperatures then averaged 7 degrees Fahrenheit higher than in pre-industrial times, and studies indicate that large forests occupied today’s Arctic tundra.
SEE MORE at noaa.gov/news-release
CO2 LEVEL TODAY
The information below updates daily and is collecting data from the Mauna Loa Observatory. The measurements are coordinated by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The Mauna Loa Observatory is operated by NOAA.
The 7-day average box shows the average of the last 7 days including today. It updates every day.
The 1000 years graph shows the historical context of CO2 levels. It updates every day.
The 20 years graph shows the level of CO2 over the past 20 years, to provide an indication as to whether the rate of increase is slowing down. It updates once annually and does not show a value for the current year.
The “in last 2 years” box shows the difference between the CO2 level today compared to what it was on this same day two years ago. This key element of the widget provides a daily update on the progress the world is making in reducing the output of CO2.
This is a project of the 2 Degrees Institute, a non-profit organization