The second graph shows CO 2 levels during Earth’s last three glacial cycles, as captured by air bubbles trapped in ice sheets and glaciers. The first graph shows atmospheric CO 2 levels measured at Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii, in recent years, with natural, seasonal changes removed. Human activities have raised the atmosphere’s carbon dioxide content by 50% in less than 200 years.Ĭarbon dioxide (CO 2) is an important heat-trapping gas, or greenhouse gas, that comes from the extraction and burning of fossil fuels (such as coal, oil, and natural gas), from wildfires, and from natural processes like volcanic eruptions. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere warms the planet, causing climate change.
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