HanrahanCape Grim's 50-year air record reveals true scale of humans' impact on planet
Cape Grim's 50-year air record reveals true scale of humans' impact on planet - SLRPNK
>The 80-metre tower and small scattering of sheds perched on the cliffs of Tasmania’s remote north-western edge seems fairly unassuming. >But it was this site that helped deliver the receipts to prove something monumental: that humans are changing the Earth’s climate. >The concentrations were almost identical to those being recorded on the other side of the world by scientist Charles David Keeling, who had been tracking CO2 levels in Hawaii. >Strong westerly winds from the Southern Ocean, known as the “roaring forties”, put the station directly in the path of air that has travelled thousands of kilometres without touching land. >It makes it some of the cleanest on the planet. >And for scientists, it’s gold. >CSIRO scientist Melita Keywood, who leads the aerosols and reactive gases program at Cape Grim, said any measurements taken there reflect the true, global background atmosphere, without the interference of local contamination. >But what the station captures is far from local. It’s why the site is one of just three “premier” global stations. >But over the next year, through an aircraft-based observational program, he came to realise his measurements were right, and supported suspicions shared by Dr Keeling. >CO2 levels were rising across the globe, and fossil fuels were to blame. >In Australia, the CSIRO is facing significant cuts to its research divisions, including reports of over 100 job losses in its Environmental Research Unit, which houses atmospheric sciences like that of Cape Grim. Interestingly, when Trump does something similar there’s outrage.
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