Greenhouse gasses reached new record in 2012, complicating warming goals

The World Meteorological Organisation has stated that greenhouse gas volumes reached a record high in 2012, Reuters reported.

Scientists blame rising atmospheric volumes of greenhouse gases for accelerating climate change. While the Copenhagen summit in 2009 established a global warming target of under 2 degrees Celsius, current emission trends are making that a difficult goal. Emissions in 2020 are expected to be 8-12 billion tons higher than necessary to meet the current target.

Climate experts anticipate that the 2 degree mark will be met in the middle of the century, resulting in changes to the water cycle, sea levels and weather.

Carbon dioxide levels have reached 393.1 parts per million in the last year, 41 percent higher than the pre-industrial level.