In my former life, I studied paleoclimatology (the variability in Earth’s climate over time) and earned a master’s degree in geology. I later worked for a green nonprofit where I spent a few years educating lawmakers and decision-makers across the Southeast about climate change — its science, impacts and solutions.
What shocked me wasn’t the juvenile politicking or unhinged party I attended with politicians in Tallahassee. It was the staggering lack of basic scientific understanding among the very people making decisions that shape our quality of life. Most didn’t understand the difference between weather and climate, which is average weather over a 30-year period. Concepts like ocean acidification, tipping points or carbon sinks were completely foreign. Additionally disappointing was the lack of desire to learn.
Even harder? We weren’t allowed to center our discussions around human suffering or the loss of ecosystems. Everything had to be translated into dollars and cents. If we wanted to talk about intensifying hurricanes, we had to frame it in terms of real estate losses. If we talked about ocean warming, it had to be about the loss of fisheries and tourism revenue.
It was sobering. And it made one thing clear: if we’re going to engage lawmakers on climate, we as citizens must first understand the basics.
So this is the start of a short series: Causes, impacts, solutions. This month, we begin with carbon dioxide — what it is, how we know it’s rising and why it matters for the Lowcountry.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a natural gas that helps trap heat in Earth’s atmosphere. In small, stable amounts, it’s essential to life on Earth. But burning fossil fuels, deforestation, changes in land use and industrial activity have caused a surge in atmospheric CO2 that our planet cannot naturally balance. That imbalance is warming the globe, driving sea-level rise and reshaping climate patterns and intensity.
We know this increase is happening through two key scientific methods. First, ancient air bubbles trapped in ice cores from Antarctica and Greenland provide a long-term record of Earth’s atmosphere, going back over hundreds of thousands of years. They show that until the Industrial Revolution, CO2 levels fluctuated naturally between about 180 and 280 parts per million (ppm). Things that influence natural variability include changes in the Earth’s orbital parameters, changes in solar output, volcanic activity and changes in land ice and ocean interactions.
Second, modern measurements have been collected continuously since 1958 at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii. The data show a dramatic rise in CO2 levels: from about 315 ppm in 1958 to over 427 ppm today. This rise is not only unprecedented in the span of human civilization — it’s accelerating. It should not be a surprise — human activity is “unequivocally” the cause.
To put it in context:
CO2 levels were around 280 ppm before the Industrial Revolution.
By 1900, they had risen to about 296 ppm. By the year 2000, they reached approximately 369 ppm. As of spring 2024, we’re over 427 ppm and counting. In the 1960s, CO2 levels were rising by about 0.8 ppm per year. Now, we’re seeing increases of 2.5 ppm or more annually. That’s a huge increase in the rate of change and it’s only going to increase.
Why does this matter for the Lowcountry? First, sea-level rise. Charleston already sees flooding during high tides — a phenomenon once rare, now common. Second, saltwater intrusion. This affects marshes, aquifers, farmland and drinking water supplies. Third, hurricanes. While CO2 doesn’t directly cause hurricanes, it fuels them by warming sea surface temperatures. Climate change, driven by rising CO2, is raising the ceiling on what storms can do. Guess who is paying attention — insurance companies! Just ask Florida.
Next month, we’ll explore the impacts of climate change on fisheries, ecosystems, our homes and our health. After that, we’ll focus on solutions: what we can do locally, and how we can advocate for meaningful change.
Toni Reale is the owner of Roadside Blooms, a unique flower, crystal and plant shop
at 4491 Durant Ave., North Charleston. Online at roadsideblooms.com.
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