U.N. Report Says Greenhouse Gases are on the Rise

| |
Related articles: World > International

Greenhouse gases, considered the main cause of global warming, have been rising at a quick rate, said the U.N. World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on Monday.

At the current rate, the world could be faced with even higher temperatures in the coming years, says WMO spokesperson Michael Jerraud. He said the situation is urgent, with countries needing to take concrete steps toward reducing greenhouse gases.

The main focus is for the United States, which is one of the largest emitters of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, to give word on a plan to reduce emissions at the Copenhagen climate summit next month, said officials in the United States on Monday.

“The CO2 content in the atmosphere rose slightly faster in 2008 than over the last decade when the growth rate was 1.9 parts per million,” said Jarraud.

The WMO said that greenhouse gases have reached the highest level on record since pre-industrial times. The gases include carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane.

The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said in a 2007 report that worldwide temperatures could rise 2.4 to 6.7 degrees by the end of this century. They said this will occur if no action is taken.

If the trend progresses, temperature spikes could potentially cause the oceans to rise due to ice melting. Shifts in climate trends and unexpected weather changes could occur.

The U.N. Panel said by 2020, the world should cut down the levels of greenhouse gas emissions of 1990 by 25 to 40 percent.

During the last decade, emissions grew by 23 percent. China was a huge contributor, making up around 75 percent of that increase, said researchers.

Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere rose nearly two parts per million in a year and were at 385.2 parts per million in 2008, said the WMO.

The WMO has stations in over 50 countries worldwide to record data on greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere.