By JAMEY KEATEN and SETH BORENSTEIN Associated Press
The United Nations weather agency said carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere reached record highs last year, intensifying climate change and extreme weather. The World Meteorological Organization said CO2 growth rates have tripled since the 1960s, reaching levels that existed 800,000 years ago. The report, released Wednesday, highlights emissions from coal, oil, and gas, along with wildfires, as major contributors. Despite flat fossil fuel emissions last year, CO2 levels continue to rise. The agency has urged policymakers to reduce emissions, warning that the world is heading into a dangerous state. Other greenhouse gases like methane and nitrous oxide have also hit record levels.
With Donald Trump settling back into the White House, advocates for the Amazon worry about what his second term will mean for the rainforest. Besides Trump's withdrawal already from the Paris climate agreement, they fear he'll cut U.S. funding for policing that has targeted illegal logging, mining and other things that have damaged the rainforest. They also worry he will back right-wing politicians who favor aggressive development in the Amazon, which is critical for storing carbon dioxide that would otherwise warm the planet. Trump's first week back in office was loaded with executive orders that prioritized fossil fuels. He capped the week by freezing new funding for almost all U.S. foreign assistance.
