Greenhouse gases on the increase
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
Major greenhouse gases are accumulating faster than in the past despite efforts to curtail their increase.
Carbon dioxide concentration in the air increased by 2.4 parts per million last year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported Wednesday; methane concentrations also rose.
Global concentration of carbon dioxide is now nearly 385 ppm. Carbon dioxide levels hovered around 280 ppm until 1850. Methane in the atmosphere rose by 27 million tons last year after nearly a decade with little or no increase, according to a NOAA researcher.