Greenhouse gases reached new records in 2013

Guest post by Beth Mole- via ScienceNews

Levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere rose more last year than any other year since 1984, according to a September 9 report by the World Meteorological Organization.

That leaves the 2013 CO₂ concentration at 142 percent of preindustrial era levels. Other heat-trapping gases, methane and nitrous oxide, were also up at 253 percent and 121 percent of the pre-industrial era numbers, respectively.

In a statement, Michel Jarraud, the secretary-general of the meteorological organization, urged the world to take swift action to curb planet-warming gas emissions, which unequivocally alter climate. “We are running out of time,” he said.