Air samples show build-up of CO2

Matthew Warren

October 03, 2006

THE world's oldest library of airsamples has recorded the biggest

increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide since sampling began in 1978.

CSIRO air librarian Paul Fraser said the levels of the primary

greenhouse gas have been growing at an increasing rate each year

since 1978 and may reach an annual increase of two parts per million

by the end of this year.

Global CO2 levels have increased from 340ppm to 380ppm in the past 30

years due to combustion of fossil fuels.

Mainstream climate scientists argue the world needs to stabilise

levels to around 450ppm by 2050 to avoid the catastrophic impacts of

climate change.

Dr Fraser said while the library had revealed CO2 emissions had grown

by 70 per cent a year since the 1970s, methane emissions had

stabilised in the past seven years.

To find this data, the CSIRO captures a 40km-long sheet of clean air

from the Southern Ocean as it blows through Cape Grim on the rugged

northwest coast of Tasmania.