Chairwoman Johnson Statement on May 2021 Record-Breaking Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Levels

Today, scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego released the May 2021 atmospheric carbon dioxide measurements. The data collected show the highest level of atmospheric carbon dioxide since accurate measuring began 63 years ago. These measurements, taken at NOAA’s Mauna Loa Atmospheric Baseline Observatory, are instrumental in allowing us to determine how much emitted carbon dioxide – a potent greenhouse gas – is lingering in the atmosphere. 

“We have long understood that carbon emissions are the primary drivers of the climate crisis,” said Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX). “It is incredibly troubling that last month marked the highest atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration that NOAA has recorded to date. Even more concerning, reports on atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations from the beginning of 2020 and the beginning of 2021 show that economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic had no discernable effects on atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations. Should this trend continue, all Americans, especially our most vulnerable communities, will continue to be faced with increasingly inhospitable living conditions due to the impacts of climate change. We must work together at all levels of government, business, and in our local communities to limit future emissions so that we can properly address the climate crisis. I am hopeful that we can meet this challenge through increased investments in research and development and innovative adaptation and mitigation strategies. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues in Congress and the Biden-Harris Administration as we build a better future for all our citizens.”