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CO2 has hit a record high with 400ppm. No period in history has exhibited such a rapid rise in CO2 content. The planet hasn’t seen levels this high since the Pliocene Epoch, over 2.6 million years ago. It wasn’t until before the 20th century when levels hit close to 300ppm. Scientist use Antarctic ice samples to measure levels from air bubbles as far back as 800,000 years. During the Eocene, about 50 million years ago, the levels where likely much higher than now, perhaps 10 times higher. Millions of cooling years brought CO2 levels low enough for ice sheets to form at the end of the Pliocene. Interestingly, the level of CO2 and the pattern of the Earth’s orbit, are essentially the same today. The current Earth warming is contributed largely by man beginning early 19th century. Data indicates that CO2 has steadily increased for the last 55 years. What all this means to sea level vs. land mass is still unsure, but we do know the system is very sensitive, and we’re not sure what we’ve committed our planet to.
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