BYDaniel Ross, TruthoutPUBLISHEDDecember 14, 2020SHAREShare via FacebookShare via TwitterShare via Email

Earlier this year, when the coronavirus pandemic led to a global wave of lockdowns, the world sawmarked declines in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissionsdue to closed borders, restricted travel and shifting energy demands. At the height of the lockdown, estimates pin the daily CO2 emission reductions as high as 17 percent, while current numbers indicate that the global emission reductions for the year could fall between 4.2 percent and 7.5 percent.

These trends, however, don’t necessarily translate into a drop in atmospheric CO2 levels, which is the accumulated total of current and past emissions.

That’s because CO2 concentrations, which reached a record high in 2019, continue to rise…