The clown show in Washington makes Nero look sane. You have probably seen some version of this: The World's Carbon Dioxide Levels Just Hit a Staggering New Milestone
The milestone, reached last month, was announced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Wednesday.
"It was only a matter of time that we would average 400 parts per million globally," said NOAA scientist Pieter Tans in a press release. "We first reported 400 ppm when all of our Arctic sites reached that value in the spring of 2012. In 2013 the record at NOAA's Mauna Loa Observatory first crossed the 400 ppm threshold. Reaching 400 parts per million as a global average is a significant milestone."
Crossing the 400 ppm threshold is equal parts disheartening and alarming. Less than a decade ago scientists and environmental activists, including Bill McKibben, launched a campaign to convince policy makers that global CO2 concentrations needed to be reduced to 350 ppm in order to avoid massive impacts from global warming. McKibben, who co-founded the group 350.org, explained the significance of that figure in a 2008 Mother Jones article entitled "The Most Important Number on Earth"
Yes the number is alarming. What is so much more alarming is that the system that produced the number grinds on almost unchecked. Read on below for an explanation.
We are hypnotized by numbers and facts and figures. Like a deer is by headlights. I almost wish we would stop seeing them because each time we do the lack of real effective response becomes more discouraging.
This is not going to stop unless we change the way we live and do it now. I am having fun watching Bernie sanders give the system the finger in the electoral politics theater, but while the theater goes on we are sinking deeper into a suicidal quagmire.
Even if Bernie were to win the nomination and then the 2016 election, we are done for. The environmental and ecological tipping points are irreversible change. Bernie is working hard to be captain of the Titanic.
I can say little more. Words have no effect on people in this situation. The deer in the headlights analogy is all too good.
You can stand there and be run over. I see few options other than that given the lack of response to date.