NOAA's Muted Release Of Climate Study Hides Fact That Annual Rate Of CO2 Buildup Fastest On Record - 8 Billion Tons/Year

[hatrack]

Climate-warming carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere grew at a record-breaking speed in 2024, surging by 3.7 parts per million, a recent NOAA data analysis has found. It’s one of the agency’s biggest scientific findings of the year — yet the research largely has flown under the radar after NOAA officials took steps to minimize the announcement.

Instead of publishing a press release or a featured article online, the agency described the findings only in social media posts on Facebook and on X. And the posts failed to highlight the dataset’s most important finding: that last year’s CO2 concentrations jumped by an unprecedented amount. That’s a departure from the agency’s historical approach to public communication. NOAA typically releases a public report each spring, prominently featured on its website, describing the previous year’s greenhouse gas concentrations. It also usually sends a press release to members of the media.

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Natural landscapes, such as forests and wetlands, historically have acted as a carbon sink — soaking up excess CO2 emissions and helping to offset some of the impacts of climate change. But some of these ecosystems may be breaking down under the stress of continued warming, with the added side effects of droughts and wildfires. And they’re storing less carbon in the process. “In my opinion, there is no reason to believe that this will not continue with further dry years in the future,” said Philippe Ciais, a climate scientist at the Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace in France.

EDIT

Meanwhile, studies have found that fossil fuel emissions also reached a record high in 2024. Those emissions can’t account for last year’s CO2 surge all on their own. But they’re part of the puzzle, and a major indicator that the world is not tackling global warming quickly enough to meet the Paris Agreement’s climate goals. “The policy goals say, well, we still have some time to reach 2 degrees,” Ciais said. “But all these predictions are based on the fact that the carbon absorption will stay good.”

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https://www.eenews.net/articles/trumps-noaa-downplayed-a-huge-finding-co2-surged-last-year/

[cachukis]

1. Living on the west coast of Florida, I expect a

tranquil summer as we can't possibly get hit by anymore hurricanes. They have punched themselves out.
Right!

[hatrack]

2. Yes, and if wishes were horses, rides would be free . . .

Best of luck down there - with FEMA a non-presence in disaster response for the foreseeable future, you're going to need all you can get.

[cachukis]

3. We downsized to a first floor of a two story. Concrete block.

Inland, 59' above sea level but short drive to beaches.
Lost some big trees in our association.
We escape early to beat traffic.
Have seen the destruction.
It is finally dawning on some that this is serious.
Sadly, many have decided it won't happen to them.
Two very large trees came down on our former property. Both missed house.
Tides are rising. Family and friends had lots of water where refrigerators were floating. Sand on streets having to be plowed. One friend had 3 feet of sand in house.
Enjoy your summer.

[NNadir]

4. I don't know where that number 8 billion comes from but it's wrong.

It's wrong for CO₂. Currently we are releasing about 35 to 37 billion tons of CO₂ as combustion waste, with another 3 to 4 billion tons added to the atmosphere arising from land use changes. Perhaps they mean only carbon. By mass, 27.3% of carbon dioxide is elemental carbon.

[hatrack]

5. I meant net gain per year - 2.13 billion tons per ppm times 3.7 . .

It's actually about 7.88 billion tons, but close enough (though I suspect the ppm mass may need updating before long).

[NNadir]

6. So are you deducting ocean uptake and biological sequestration?

I'm not entirely sure I know this particular partition off the top of my head, although I suspect I looked it up at some point and somewhere in my files there's info.

[hatrack]

7. Yes (though I'm trying to recall the citation) . . .

I don't mind getting older, it's just little things like . . . remembering shit.

[NNadir]

8. Been there, done that, the little thing, remembering shit. You turned me on to a webpage with the answer.

It's here: Global Carbon Budget Thank you. That was your find. I learn from the stuff you provide.

It reports carbon as elemental carbon but reports the conversion factor to CO₂.

I've downloaded a number of the files and worked with them in various ways.

I didn't have access to my home computer today when I first responded to your post.