EARTH’S atmosphere has hit a new milestone — with carbon dioxide levels surging by a record 3.5 parts per million last year, even though pollution from cars and factories barely budged.
Scientists say the planet’s natural defences — forests and oceans that usually soak up CO₂ — are starting to fail, leaving more greenhouse gas trapped in the air and supercharging global warming.
The year 2023 was the hottest on record, driven by climate change and El Niño, and experts warn it’s wreaking havoc on the world’s “carbon sinks.”
Heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires have scorched forests and warmed oceans, crippling their ability to absorb carbon.
A major 2024 study found that land and ocean carbon sinks weakened to their lowest levels in two decades, with scientists describing the trend as “new and scary.”
CO₂ concentrations hit 423.9 parts per million — the highest ever recorded since monitoring began in 1957 at Hawaii’s Mauna Loa Observatory. But now, that crucial station faces budget cuts, sparking fears that the world could lose its climate early-warning system.
Environmental groups say the message couldn’t be clearer: cut emissions now or face runaway climate chaos.