CREDIT: Shutterstock

The concentration of carbon dioxide, the greenhouse gas that drives climate change, hit 402 parts per million this week — the highest level recorded in at least 800,000 years.

The recordings came from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association’s Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, which marked another ominous milestone last May when the 400 ppm threshold was crossed for the first time in recorded history.

CREDIT: NOAA

Carbon dioxide (CO2) levels spike every spring but this year the threshold was crossed in March, two months earlier than last year. In fact, it’s happening “at faster rates virtually every decade,” according to James Butler, Director of NOAA’s Global Monitoring Division, a trend that “is consistent with rising fossil fuel emissions.”

400 ppm was long considered a very serious measurement but it isn’t the end — it’s just a marker on the road to ever-increasing carbon pollution levels, Butler explained in an interview on NOAA’s website. “It is a milestone, marking the fact that humans have caused carbon dioxide concentrations to rise 120 ppm since pre-industrial times, with over 90 percent of that in the past century alone. We don’t know where the tipping points are.”

When asked if the 400 ppm will be reached even earlier next year, Butler responded simply, “Yes. Every year going forward for a long time.”

While atmospheric CO2 levels never approached 400 ppm in the 800,000 years of detailed records scientists have, there is evidence that the last time the Earth experienced such high concentrations was actually several million years ago. Writing about the 400 ppm recording last year, climatologist Peter Gleick pointed to UCLA research “that suggested we would have to go back at least 15 million years to find carbon dioxide levels approaching today’s levels” and another article in the journal Paleoceanography “on paleoclimatic records that suggest CO2 concentrations (at least in the Northern Hemisphere) may have been around 400 ppm between 2 and 4.6 million years ago.”

But whether it’s 800,000 years ago or 15 million years ago, Gleick emphasizes that “the more important point to remember is that never in the history of the planet have humans altered the atmosphere as radically as we are doing so now.”

And this uncharted territory is something humans will have to navigate for quite some time because once its emitted, carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere. In fact, Andrew Freedman explains, “a single molecule of carbon dioxide can remain aloft for hundreds of years, which means that the effects of today’s industrial activities will be felt for the next several centuries, if not thousands of years.”

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Geology News fb@geology.com via google.com	7:02 PM (7 minutes ago)
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Geology.com News – 12 Topics

• Pittsburgh: Landslide Capital of the East
• Spending a Billion Dollars on CO2?
• Large Dams Cost Too Much!
• Using Unmanned Aircraft to Survey Polar Ice
• Petrochemical Exports Could Double
• The Largest Petroleum Basin in the World
• Total Lunar Eclipse: April 15
• Extreme Ice Survey at Antarctica Peninsula
• Qatar LNG Profits in Jeopardy?
• LNG from Eastern Russia
• Antelope Canyon
• Wall Maps of US States

Pittsburgh: Landslide Capital of the East Posted: 08 Apr 2014 07:30 PM PDT WTAE News has a video report on a large landslide, with a chute about 100 yards wide on the side of Mount Washington. Pittsburgh has lots of landslides because it is a city flanked by steep river valley walls, lots of precipitation and weak red shales forming much of the bedrock. Related: Landslide Incidence Map

Spending a Billion Dollars on CO2? Posted: 08 Apr 2014 05:21 AM PDT Kinder Morgan is going to spend about one billion dollars to drill for carbon dioxide in Arizona, treat the gas, compress it, send it through a new pipeline to oil fields in Texas and New Mexico, and pump into the ground for enhanced oil recovery. One billion dollars for CO2!

Large Dams Cost Too Much! Posted: 08 Apr 2014 05:09 AM PDT An Oxford University study reports that large dams typically require about 8 years for construction and have average cost overruns of nearly 100%. By the time they are finished the needs of their region have often changed and the unanticipated expenses might make the total cost too high.

Using Unmanned Aircraft to Survey Polar Ice Posted: 08 Apr 2014 05:05 AM PDT “Scientists studying the behavior of the world’s ice sheets–and the future implications of ice sheet behavior for global sea-level rise–may soon have a new airborne tool that will allow radar measurements that previously would have been prohibitively expensive or difficult to carry out with manned aircraft.” Quoted from the National Science Foundation press release.

Petrochemical Exports Could Double Posted: 08 Apr 2014 05:02 AM PDT Stephen Pryor, President of ExxonMobil Chemical, believes that “US exports of polyethylene, polypropylene, and para-xylene, three of the largest primary petrochemical products, could double by 2025 thanks to shale gas.” Quoted from ChemWeek.com.

The Largest Petroleum Basin in the World Posted: 08 Apr 2014 04:56 AM PDT “The West Siberian basin is the largest petroleum basin in the world covering an area of about 2.2 million square kilometers. The basin occupies a swampy plain between the Ural Mountains and the Yenisey River.” Quoted from the USGS report.

Total Lunar Eclipse: April 15 Posted: 08 Apr 2014 04:53 AM PDT There will be four lunar eclipses between now and September 28, 2015. The first will be a total eclipse on April 15, 2014. It will be visible over much of the United States. April 15, 2014 October 8, 2014 April 4 2015 September 28, 2015

Extreme Ice Survey at Antarctica Peninsula Posted: 08 Apr 2014 04:52 AM PDT National Geographic has an article and video titled: “Chasing Ice Photographer Focuses on Melting Glaciers in Antarctica”…. they bolt nine time lapse cameras to bedrock overlooking glaciers and photograph them every hour during daylight.

Qatar LNG Profits in Jeopardy? Posted: 08 Apr 2014 04:50 AM PDT Although Qatar is currently the largest exporter of liquified natural gas in the world, its natural gas profits could be slashed as Australia, the United States, east African nations, Indonesia and several other countries enter or step into the LNG export business. If Qatar’s profits are threatened, what is going to happen to United States companies who plan to export natural gas and have a transportation disadvantage? Related: What is LNG?

LNG from Eastern Russia Posted: 08 Apr 2014 04:41 AM PDT Rosneft, the world’s largest oil company on the basis of output, and ExxonMobil are working on a plant to produce LNG in eastern Russia. They hope to ship the first LNG in 2018.

Antelope Canyon Posted: 08 Apr 2014 04:38 AM PDT The Weather Channel has a short video about Antelope Canyon, near Page Arizona. “Antelope Canyon is the most-visited and most-photographed slot canyon in the American Southwest. It is located on Navajo land near Page, Arizona.” Quote from Wikipedia.

Wall Maps of US States Posted: 08 Apr 2014 04:25 AM PDT Raven Maps are beautiful examples of shaded-relief wall maps that display the elevation of a state in vibrant colors. These large maps look great in a classroom, den or office. Use one to mark the locations of your work or company.

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Charlie Wood – 350.org Australia charlie@350.org	2:09 PM (2 hours ago)
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Dear friend,

Some exciting news from Queensland. In Australia’s largest coal producing state, a huge public consultation has revealed that the community wants Queensland to move beyond coal.

Through an ambitious participatory process, 80,000 Queenslanders have told the Government what their vision for the state’s future looks like. Coal doesn’t rate a mention. Instead, Queenslanders have opted for a future based on agriculture, ecotourism, education, research and development, and alternative energy.*

Increasingly, Australians are stepping up and speaking out to call for a fossil free future. They’re calling on their banks, super funds and public institutions to divest from fossil fuels. Meanwhile, parents, grandparents, religious leaders, scientists, doctors and more are putting their bodies on the line to halt new fossil fuel expansion projects.

Despite this growing movement, if you follow the investment flows of the Big Four banks, they’re all pushing a future of coal on the people of Australia. So, it’s time for us to push back and tell the banks that we want a future beyond coal – not just in Queensland, but across Australia:

• If you’re a shareholder with one of the Big Four banks, we need your help. Sign up to find out how you can take action to to get carbon off and climate on the books of the Big 4 Banks.** Once you register, we’ll support you with the process at every step.
• If you’re not a shareholder, but you are a customer of the big four banks, you can find out about which banks don’t lend to coal and gas here. You can also join hundreds of Australians on May 3rd for the national Divestment Day, where we’ll be sending our strongest message to the banks yet.

Our banks are answerable to their shareholders and customers, so it’s time for us to exercise our rights. We can build a future for Australia that is not dictated by coal, but a future that is crafted by people from the ground up. A future that takes tackling climate change seriously.

For a safe climate future,

Charlie, Blair, Aaron, Josh, Simon, Vicky and many others

* Click here to read more about the Queensland Plan in The Conversation.

**We’re supporting our friends at the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility to lodge resolutions at the AGMs of the Big four banks later this year. For more information about what’s involved, checkout these handy FAQs.

P.S. – Great news – the Queensland Land Court has just urged the Queensland Government to reject the Alpha Mega mine, unless it meets a series of major conditions. Read more here. Hugest congratulations to all the incredible people who made this happen!

350.org is building a global climate movement.

CHART: Australia Has Hit Peak Working Population Growth

Betty Reid Soskin is at the age of 92 the oldest full-time National Park Service ranger in the United States. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Growth in Australia’s working age population has passed its peak with baby boomers starting to retire.

“The country has experienced high rates of working age population growth over the past few decades,” says Paul Bloxham, Chief Economist of HSBC, in his regular newsletter, Downunder Digest.

“However, with the baby boomer generation beginning to retire, the pace of growth in the working age population is likely to slow.”

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) projects that population growth will average +1.2% a year in the 2010s and +0.9% in the 2020s, down from +1.6% in the 2000s.

As in this HSBC chart:

The ABS also presents a low and high scenario, with the variation between the outlooks largely explained by differing assumptions about migration.

“This is expected to act as a drag on Australia’s potential growth rate, adding to the problem of Australia’s recent weak productivity performance,” says Paul Bloxham.

An ageing population is an issue faced by most developed nations around the world.

The post-war baby boom and subsequent declining birth rate is one part of the story.

Rising incomes and advances in medical technology also mean greater life expectancy, further skewing the average age to the upside.

In the US, estimates from the United Nations suggest that 20% of the population will be above 65 by 2030, up from 14% currently.

Australia’s population is expected to age in a similar way, with over 65s projected to account for 19% of the population by 2030, from 14% currently.

As in this chart prepared by HSBC:

For government budgets, the ageing will mean greater spending on healthcare and less revenue from the income tax system.

Paul Bloxham says options available to the government in Canberra include cuts to government-funded healthcare and a shift in the tax base to consumption or wealth-oriented taxes rather than income taxes.

He says stronger migration would also help.

“Migrants are typically younger than the extant population,” he says.

“They also bring with them much needed skills and have strong ties to their former home countries, which can strengthen financial and trade ties. Australia’s already has a targeted immigration scheme, which allows the government to control the types of skills of individual migrants.

“Strong migration flows, particularly from fast-growing Asian nations, could help Australia deal with its demographic challenges and also strengthen its links with the fastest growing economies.”

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