The World Meteorological Organisation ( WMO), in one of its reports, stated that, the emission levels of the main greenhouse gas emitted by fossil fuels, carbon dioxide, hit a record high in 2006. As a result, the process of Global Warming is getting accelerated. The WMO said “In 2006, globally averaged concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reached their highest levels ever recorded’. According to the UN climate panel, Carbon Dioxide is the main gas emitted from human activities that cause Global Warming.

According to WMO, Carbon Dioxide levels in the atmosphere rose by 36 percent since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century ( it rose from 0.53 percent in 2005 to 381.2 parts per million of the atmosphere in 2006).

However, in spite of several scientists’ fears that the rising temperatures could initiate a runaway thaw in the Siberian permafrost, the flattening out of concentration of the second-most important greenhouse gas, methane indicates that the permafrost would remain frozen. Methane, which is generated from sources like digestive processes of cows and rotting vegetation in landfills, termites and rice paddies, fell to 1782 parts per billion in 2006 ( a fall of 0.06 percent).

Although methane levels are 155 percent higher than the pre-industrial levels, WHO’s senior scientific officer, Geir Braathen, says ‘”Methane levels have been flattening out in recent years’. In response to scientists’ fears that Global Warming might release the frozen methane in the Siberian permafrost, Braathen said ‘A widespread melt of Siberian permafrost is a possibility but there is no sign of it in this data. “If it was happening it would turn up in these figures.’

The levels of the third-most significant heat-trapping gas, nitrous oxide, which is also generated from fuel-burning and industrial processes, also rose to a record high level in 2006 ( with a 0.25 per cent gain). The levels of nitrous oxide, at 320 parts per billion, are currently 19 percent above the pre-industrial times.

The WMO, in a report, says, ‘Atmospheric growth rates in 2006 of these gases are consistent with recent years’.

The relative importance of carbon dioxide among the greenhouse gases has been rising over the last few years. Its contribution in the total heating effect of greenhouse gases have gone up to 91 per cent in the last five years ( from 87 percent in the past decade).

The rising temperature levels due to global warming is likely to cause more floods,heat waves, droughts and rising ocean levels. As a result of increasing emissions of the greenhouse gases, earth’s protective ozone layer is depleting, as shown by reports in 2006.

A global meeting ( with more than 190 nations) will be held from December 3-14 at Bali, Indonesia. The meeting would try to launch two years of negotiations on a new global treaty that would succeed the Kyoto Protocol, the main paln of the UN to combat global warming.

source:reuters