Note: The text from this post was published as an oped in the News-Leader on 6/22/21.

On June 7 the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that the atmospheric CO2 (carbon dioxide) concentration had reached its highest level since accurate measurements began 63 years ago. The monthly average CO2 concentration for 2021 is 419 ppm.

Dominion Energy’s coal-fired power plant in Chester, Virginia. This plant is scheduled to completely shut down in May 2023. Photo credit Imageforge/Shutterstock

CO2 Concentration Increased Over 100 ppm

When I was born in 1955 the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere was 313 ppm. What? In 66 years, the CO2 concentration has increased by over 100 ppm! Some people don’t believe there is a climate crisis or that humans are to blame. Some think there is nothing we can do about CO2 levels. You can’t see carbon dioxide, so maybe that’s why some think it’s not a problem.

If You Can’t See It, Do You Believe It’s There?

There are many things we can’t see but believe exist, perhaps because we trust science. Temperature or heat for example. We can’t see temperature or heat, but we can measure it with a thermometer.

I’m a farmer who wants to know how much phosphorus is in my soil so I don’t waste money buying phosphorus fertilizer if I don’t need it. I can’t see soil phosphorus, but I can send a soil sample to a lab, and they can measure how much phosphorus is in the soil and recommend what I need based on the crop I want to grow.

I can’t see how much phosphorus there is in our soil, so I send a sample of soil to a lab to find out. This is sample 11 at Whiskey Creek Angus. Photo credit R. Whitescarver

I want to know whether my water is safe to drink. I can’t see bacteria in my water, but I can take a water sample to a lab, and they use science to inform me if bacteria are in the water.

Measuring CO2 Concentration

We can’t see CO2 in the air, but scientists at Scripps use an infrared analyzer to measure it. Their method was first developed by David Keeling in 1958. Joint measurements from Scripps and NOAA are known as the Keeling Curve. In 1958 the CO2 concentration was 315 ppm. It’s now higher than it’s been in 3 million years, according to scientists at NOAA. This causes sea levels to rise and makes our weather warmer and weirder. It’s not a hoax. For a safer planet climate scientists tell us the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere needs to be below 350 ppm.