It’s officially the beginning of the end for life on Earth, researchers say.
Earth’s atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have passed 400 parts per million — long regarded as the point of no return in the battle against climate change.
Researchers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography said the CO2 levels for September will definitely be above 400 ppm — a time when they typically record the lowest CO2 levels of the year. The findings come from Hawaii’s Mauna Loa Observatory, which has measured CO2 levels since 1958.
Scripps CO2 program director Ralph Keeling wrote that it’s “almost impossible” levels will drop in October — or ever.
With 350 ppm considered the “safe” level, scientists have long warned that surpassing 400 could result in irreversible damage. Keeling predicts we could break 410 ppm by November.