Conversation

A new carbon record
Carbon dioxide levels hit a new record this week. We're now past 411ppm. Even more worrying is the timing — the annual peak doesn't come until May when the great northern forests wake from hibernation and begin pulling carbon out of the air.

The surge in oil production from Canadian and U.S. industries is a major culprit. The International Energy Agency announced that the recent boom in North American oil production is like adding “one Russia or one Saudi Arabia” onto the pyre. The agency warned that there is no room left in the carbon budget for more oil, coal or natural gas.