
Raeside cartoon in Victoria Times Colonist: Wildfires caused by climate change (caused by human pollution), our response so far.
Zeke Hausfather @hausfath:
Global temperatures have started 2025 at record-setting levels – above where they were in January 2024 despite the emergence of modest La Nina conditions in the tropical Pacific.
2025: Ryan Katz-Rosene, PhD @ryankatzrosene:
“Financial institutions are pulling back following sustained criticism from U.S. Republicans on various climate alliances and the very concept of factoring environmental risks into their business operations.”
You spineless mfs…
Ryan Katz-Rosene, PhD@ryankatzrosene:
Is it the sun?! NO!
Is it orbital cycles?! NO!
Is it volcanoes? NO!
NO. NO. NO.
It’s greenhouse gases, mostly from burning fossil fuels.
We KNOW what we need to do.
We have the TECHNOLOGY.
We can have BETTER lives, and safeguard our ECONOMY…
Let’s make it happen!
Air monitoring station records biggest ever jump in atmospheric CO2, Wildfires and fossil fuel burning in 2024 contributed to the biggest annual rise in atmospheric CO2 levels ever recorded at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii by Michael Le Page, 17 January 2025, New Scientist
The level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere measured by a weather station at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii increased by 3.58 parts per million in 2024 – the biggest jump since records began there in 1958.
“We’re still going in the wrong direction,” says climate scientist Richard Betts at the Met Office, the UK’s weather service.
The record increase is partly due to CO2 emissions from fossil fuel burning and other human actions, such as cutting down forests, hitting a record high in 2024. Adding to this were a large number of wildfires, fuelled by record-smashing global temperatures boosted by the El Niño weather pattern on top of the long-term warming.
Betts is forecasting that atmospheric CO2 levels as measured at Mauna Loa will this year rise by 2.26 parts per million (ppm), with a margin of error of 0.56 ppm either way. That’s a lot less than the 2024 record, but it will take us above the last possible pathway for limiting the increase in global surface temperatures to 1.5°C above preindustrial levels.
“You could regard it as another nail in the coffin of 1.5°C,” says Betts. “That’s now vanishingly unlikely.”
The level of CO2 in the atmosphere is the most important measure when it comes to climate change, because rising atmospheric CO2 is the main factor driving both short and long-term warming. The first ongoing measurements of CO2 levels were made at Mauna Loa.
“Because this station has the longest time record and is also located far away from the main anthropogenic and natural emissions and sinks of CO2, it is often used to represent global change in CO2 concentrations,” says Richard Engelen at the EU’s Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service.
With observations from satellites, however, it is now possible to directly measure the average global level of atmospheric CO2. According to CAMS, it rose by 2.9 ppm in 2024. That isn’t a record, but it is one of the biggest increases since satellite observations began.
“The reason for this larger increase needs further investigation, but it will be a combination of rebounding of emissions in large parts of the world after the covid pandemic in combination with interannual variations in the natural carbon sink,” says Engelen. The carbon sink refers to the oceans and ecosystems on land, which have been soaking up around half of the CO2 emissions caused by humans.
It has long been predicted that, as the planet warms, less of this excess CO2 will be soaked up. “Whether this is the start of that is the concerning thing,” says Betts. “We don’t know.”
At Mauna Loa, the increase in CO2 is higher than the average global level due to the large number of wildfires in the northern hemisphere in 2024, says Betts. It takes time for plumes of CO2 from sources such as wildfires to mix evenly into the atmosphere around the world. “The fire emissions in the northern hemisphere were particularly large last year,” he says.
Although it now looks certain that global warming will pass the 1.5°C limit, Betts thinks it was still right to set that as a target. “The Paris Agreement was carefully phrased – to pursue effects to limit warming to 1.5. It was recognised at the outset that it would be challenging,” he says. “The idea was to have this stretch target to motivate action, and actually I think that was successful. It did galvanise action.”
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Ryan Katz-Rosene, PhD @ryankatzrosene:
Earth hasn’t warmed this quickly since the beginning of the Phanerozoic 540 million years ago.
YP@Teoli2003:
… The current warming is quicker than everything Earth has experienced since the beginning of the Phanerozoic, which encompasses all complex life.
Even the PETM was slower!
Ryan Katz-Rosene, PhD @ryankatzrosene:
OK, but can you also post quotes of Stephen Harper supporting Carbon Pricing back in 2008 when you were Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury Board? Thanks!
@PierrePoilievre:
Let’s have some fun!
Every 20 minutes, I will post quotes from Mark Carney supporting carbon taxes, including his demands that these taxes go up faster.
That’s why they call him “Carbon Tax Carney.”
Hold on to your wallets!
brewsd.bsky.social @brewsd.bsky.social:
The thing that kills me is you have all these mouthpieces for the oil industry and social media trolls that constantly bemoan the lack of government support. Eg last week on CBC martha hall Findlay was on in three occasions saying that the oil industry was decimated by liberals.
International Institute for Sustainable Development @iisd.bsky.social Jan 17, 2025:
Canada is still giving billions in public funds to the oil & gas sector—despite the gov’ts policy to end Fossilfuel subsidies.
Laura Cameron & Serene Parenteau break down 5 key areas Canada must address to lead on subsidy reform as the 2025 G7 president
Canada must eliminate tax exemptions & credits given to the industry.
Tax breaks for the fossil fuel sector reduce much needed public revenue—in 2021 alone, the Parliamentary Budget Officer estimates that tax breaks cost taxpayers $1.8 billion.
When it comes to spending on the fossil fuel industry, the Trans Mountain Pipeline may be the biggest mark on the current gov’t’s record.
Since TMX became operational last May, the gov’t has provided ∼$5mn/day in subsidies from discounted tolls.
Carbon capture & storage is not a Netzero solution.
Canada has committed $9bn+ to CCS by 2030 but experts warn the technology is costly & unproven. Public Money would be better spent increasing energy efficiency & expanding renewable energy across the country.
New LNG investments carry economic & climate risks. Yet the federal gov’t has committed:
$100-200mn—Coastal Gaslink
$400-500mn—Cedar LNG.
These loans aren’t covered under the subsidies framework & Canada must close the gap with a strong domestic public finance policy.
Gov’t support for decarbonization & low carbon infrastructure should support workers & communities, not fossil fuel companies.
Canada is increasing subsidies to decarbonize the fossil fuel industry, but experts warn funds contribute to company profits & divert money from renewables.
To ensure public money is not supporting companies, Canada must—
Publish a comprehensive inventory of all subsidies
Set timelines for eliminating existing subsidies
Establish regular, transparent reporting
Tackle public finance from crown corporations