Over the last week, both the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (University of California, San Diego) reported that the daily average concentration of carbon dioxide measured from Mauna Loa, Hawaii surpassed the historic milestone of 400.00 parts per million. Today Scripps reports that on Thursday (16 May), concentrations rose even higher.  The screenshot of the Scripps "Keeling Curve" Web site showing "400.27 ppm" and the curve of rapidly rising concentrations since 1958 merits to be among the iconic images of this era of climate disruption.

As Arctic Council Ministers prepare to meet to outline priorities for the Council’s next two years, WWF has released a mapping tool to help inform those priorities, ArkGIS.

The White House on Friday (10 May 2013) released a National Strategy for the Arctic Region, as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced that daily average atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO₂) had on 9 May surpassed for the first time on record 400.00 parts per million (ppm) at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii. The rise in CO₂ concentrations, largely driven by the burning of coal, oil and natural gas, is rapidly warming the Arctic.  The strategy acknowledges that “the current warming trend is unlike anything previously recorded” and that “there may be potentially profound environmental consequences of continued ocean warming and Arctic ice melt.” The document recognizes the Administration’s “global objective of combating the climatic changes that are driving these environmental conditions.” But the strategy also invokes U.S. security interests to argue that that “[c]ontinuing to responsibly develop Arctic oil and gas resources aligns with the United States `all of the above’ approach to developing new domestic energy sources.” In the absence of a U.S. low-carbon development strategy, is not clear how the U.S. ultimately will reconcile expanded fossil fuel production in the region with its commitment to combat climate change.

An international team of researchers reported today (Sunday 12 May 2013) in the journal Nature Climate Change, that the climate disruption from rapidly rising concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere could result in a dramatic decline in more than one half of the world’s common plants and one third of the animals by the end of the century.  “Our research predicts that climate change will greatly reduce the diversity of even very common species found in most parts of the world,” said Dr Rachel Warren, leader of the study from the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom. “This loss of global-scale biodiversity would significantly impoverish the biosphere and the ecosystem services it provides.”  She said the loss could be prevented with “swift action to reduce CO2 and other greenhouse gases.”

An international group of scientists on Monday (6 May 2013) released the findings of their Arctic Ocean Acidification Assessment.  The Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP), which commissioned the research, said in a press release that the Arctic Ocean "is rapidly accumulating carbon dioxide (CO2) leading to increased ocean acidification...This ongoing change impacts Arctic marine ecosystems already affected by rising temperatures and melting sea ice."   AMAP warns that "Arctic Ocean acidification has the potential to affect both commercial fisheries that are important to northern economies, and marine resources that are used by Arctic indigenous people." 

From May through October 2013, cities in 15 countries can register for the next annual round of WWF's Earth Hour City Challenge.  The challenge will highlight and reward cities that aggressively and creatively address climate change.  An international jury will evaluate the actions being taken by each city, and in March 2014, the city with the highest overall score will be awarded the title "Global Earth Hour Capital."  A national Earth Hour Capital also will be named in each participating country.

Today (23 April 2013), Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) announced the launch of the Chicago Cleanweb Challenge, a year-long competition to accelerate sustainability and technology in Chicago through community engagement and entrepreneurship.  “By using big data to engage the public about the impacts of climate change, Chicago is leading the charge among U.S. cities, preparing residents for a future with more extreme weather events,” said Keya Chatterjee, World Wildlife Fund’s Senior Director for Renewable Energy and Footprint Outreach. “Across the country, these types of innovative approaches are critical to protecting local communities and moving our cities toward a renewable energy future.”

The White House announced yesterday (8 April 2013) the names of twelve “climate resilience leaders” who will be honored in a “Champions of Change” event on Thursday (11 April). “As we take action to reduce carbon pollution and speed the transition to more sustainable sources of energy, we must also take action to prepare for the impacts of climate change we are already seeing, including more frequent and severe extreme weather,”  said Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality.  The event comes just weeks after the World Wildlife Fund concluded its first annual Earth Hour City Challenge, during which Americans in 2,000 U.S. cities and counties challenged their mayors and city councils to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and to prepare for the disruptive impacts of climate change.

Earth Hour has just concluded another record sweep around our planet from Samoa on one side of the International Date Line to the Cook Islands on the other, with hundreds of millions again uniting to send a clear message - we are determined to create a sustainable future for our planet.

Earth Hour, the lights-off initiative of the WWF that has become the iconic symbol of people’s concern and commitment to save the planet, kicked off in Samoa a few hours ago and is on its way across the globe as over 7,000 cities, towns and municipalities across more than 150 countries and territories go dark for an hour of expressed and inspired solidarity.