Surge in greenhouse gases sustained despite COVID lockdowns – U.N.
World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
- It is one of the specialised agencies of the United Nations which looks after international cooperation and coordination on the state and behaviour of the Earth’s atmosphere, its interaction with the land and oceans, the weather and climate it produces, and the resulting distribution of water resources.
- The Secretariat, headquartered in Geneva, is headed by the Secretary-General. Its supreme body is the World Meteorological Congress.
Why in the news?
- The WMO has released its annual report measuring the atmospheric concentration of the gases — carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide — that are warming our planet and triggering extreme weather events.
- There was a prediction that due to COVID-19 lockdowns there would be a decrease in the concentration of the gases.
- But according to readings from Hawaii and Tasmania stations there was no decrease seen in the greenhouse gases concentration.
- Levels of carbon dioxide, a product of burning fossil fuels that is the biggest contributor to global warming, touched a new record of 410.5 parts per million (ppm) in 2019.
- The concentrations of the more potent heat-trapping gas methane increased by 8 parts per billion.
- The levels of nitrous oxide, which erode the atmosphere’s ozone layer and expose humans to harmful ultraviolet rays, also increased.
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