From peak CO2 to record-low sea ice: Making sense of climate news
Readers who follow climate news might have noticed last week that scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced that the planet just had its 400th consecutive month with above average temperatures – yet another record set in a steady stream of similar ones.
Earlier this month, there was a brief flurry of stories noting that, in April, atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration levels passed 410 parts per million averaged over the whole month. A year earlier, readings had first crossed 410 ppm. They breached 400 ppm in 2013. Other milestones also regularly make news – from record-low sea ice in the Arctic to record-high global temperatures.
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Context matters
