The latest data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) makes for grim reading. The NOAA reveals that the amount of Carbon Dioxide in our atmosphere averaged 419 parts per million in May — the highest reading on record.
Not only is that the highest reading on record, it's also way above any previous peaks from the last 800,000 years, which scientists are able to estimate by using air bubbles that have been trapped in mile-thick ice cores. Some estimates suggest that 419ppm hasn't been seen in Earth's atmosphere for an even longer time period — potentially millions of years.
The fact that the pandemic reduced human emissions by 6-7% was good news, but it still meant that we collectively pumped millions of kilograms of CO2 into our atmosphere.
P.S. National Geographic has a good 2 minute refresher video on global warming, and how CO2 contributes to it.
