The United Nations World Meteorological Organization have reported that gases causing global warming have largely increased last year.
The rate of carbon emissions released into the atmosphere grew more rapidly, reaching its highest, in 2012 than in any other year in the past decade.
In their annual greenhouse gas bulletin, the WMO highlighted the increase of a number of different harmful substances into the earth’s atmosphere that is largely contributing to the decline health of our planet.
Carbon dioxide emissions have been steadily increasing since the beginning of the industrial revolution and today, the levels have increased over 140%.
In addition, the report also explains that a number of other gases has been increasing.
Methane Gas
Levels of this gas have reach a new peak in 2012 since 2007, where previously they had been on the decline.
The WMO bulletin was unable to locate the source of this increase but there are two predominant possibilities. The first is that is caused by a natural release of methane from wetlands and the second possibility is that the increase can be attributed to human activity such as cattle breeding.
Another contributing factor is the growing concern of methane emissions from the Arctic. The melting permafrost is causing the soil underneath to become exposed and thus expelling methane gases that were trapped underneath the ice.
In addition another process occurs that is greatly influenced by the rising heat is methanogenisis. This transpires when biological mass begins to rot and emits methane gas.
Nitrous Oxide
The primary cause for nitrous oxide emission are natural causes such as oceanic activity and vegetation growth. The amount that is naturally emitted is slightly over 60% of the total which remains at normal levels however the amount emitted by human activity equates to 38% of the total. The main human causes are industrial emissions in addition to fuel usage.
Human activity has increased the overall emissions creating dangerous levels in the atmosphere. There is a 120% in overall emission prior to the industrial revolution.
Nitrous oxide has an active role in damaging the ozone layer and it is almost 300 times more harmful to the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.
The report indicated that the concentration of gases in the atmosphere will continue to affect the world’s climate for centuries.