Accelerating arctic warming and other early climate impacts have led scientists to conclude that we are already above the safe zone at our current 390ppm, and that unless we are able to rapidly return to 350 ppm this century, we risk reaching tipping points and irreversible impacts such as the melting of the Greenland ice sheet and major methane releases from increased permafrost melt.There are three numbers you need to really understand global warming, 275, 390, and 350.
For all of human history until about 200 years ago, our atmosphere contained 275 parts per million of carbon dioxide. Parts per million is simply a way of measuring the concentration of different gases, and means the ratio of the number of carbon dioxide molecules per million other molecules in the atmosphere. 275 ppm CO2 is a useful amount—without some CO2 and other greenhouse gases that trap heat in our atmosphere, our planet would be too cold for humans to inhabit.
The 24th October, 2009 has been chosen as an international day of action for Climate Change in which 141 countries will participate in various activities to increase the attention deserved by Climate Change.
Luke Chamberlain, Forests Campaigner for The Wilderness Society speaks about 350.org and gives an update on logging in Victoria's Brown Mountain area. Click here to listen.
For more information, please visit http://www.350.org/ and http://www.wilderness.org.au/
