Greenhouse Effect · CO₂ & Temperature · Carbon Cycle · Climate Solutions
Interactive — adjust greenhouse gas concentration with the slider
Data approximated from NOAA, NASA GISS. Temperature anomaly relative to 1850–1900 baseline.
Started measuring CO₂ at Mauna Loa, Hawaii in 1958. Shows steady rise from 315 ppm to 424 ppm. Also shows seasonal "breathing" as plants absorb CO₂ in summer and release in winter.
Trapped air bubbles in Antarctic ice show CO₂ stayed between 180–280 ppm for 800,000 years. Today's 424 ppm is higher than at any point in that record.
At +1.5°C, coral reefs are severely damaged. At +2°C, ice sheets may collapse irreversibly. Some changes, once triggered, cannot be reversed for centuries.
195 countries agreed in 2015 to limit warming to well below +2°C and pursue efforts to limit it to +1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Requires net-zero emissions by ~2050.
Numbers in gigatons of carbon per year (GtC/yr)
Humans emit about 37 GtCO₂/year. About half is absorbed by land plants and oceans. The rest accumulates in the atmosphere, raising CO₂ by ~2–3 ppm per year.
Replace fossil fuels with solar, wind, hydro and nuclear power. Electricity is now the cheapest form of new energy generation in history.
Electric vehicles, trains and ships powered by clean electricity. Transport is ~16% of global emissions.
Stopping deforestation and restoring forests. Forests absorb about 2.6 GtCO₂/yr and store vast amounts of carbon.
Better insulation, heat pumps, LED lighting and efficient appliances. Buildings account for ~13% of global emissions.
Reducing methane from livestock, restoring soils and cutting food waste. Food systems produce ~25% of global emissions.
Technologies that remove CO₂ directly from the air or from industrial exhaust. Still expensive but rapidly improving.
Solar radiation passes through the atmosphere and warms Earth's surface. The surface emits infrared radiation (heat) back upward. Greenhouse gases absorb this heat and re-radiate it in all directions — keeping Earth warm. Without any greenhouse effect, Earth would average −18°C.
Reduce meat consumption, fly less, support clean energy policies, and stay informed. Individual actions matter — but systemic change (energy, industry, transport) has the largest impact.
If CO₂ concentration doubles from 280 ppm (pre-industrial) to 560 ppm, scientists estimate about 3°C of warming. Explore the CO₂ vs temperature graph — what pattern do you notice over the last 150 years?