The level of carbon dioxide in earth's atmosphere on Aug. 10 was 399.20 parts per million (ppm). That is a slight (and temporary) decline from a number that has continued to rise since these measurements, at Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, began in 1950.
The average level for July was 401.3 ppm. The average for July 2014 was 399.0. The July number in 2013 was 397.20.
From the Mauna Loa web site:
Why is CO2 significant? Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the chief greenhouse gas that results from human activities and causes global warming and climate change. To see whether enough is being done at the moment to solve these global problems, there is no single indicator as complete and current as the monthly updates for atmospheric CO2 from the Mauna Loa Observatory.
Swedish officials say weak replacement parts caused a fatal roller coaster derailment last year
The 5 best sandwiches our food writers ate in the Twin Cities area this week
Review: Sabrina Carpenter is no one-hit wonder
