January 2025: The Worst January Year to Year Increase Ever in CO2 Concentrations Recorded, 2025 over 2024. [View all]

As I've indicated repeatedly in my DU writings, somewhat obsessively I keep spreadsheets of the of the daily, weekly, monthly and annual data at the Mauna Loa Carbon Dioxide Observatory, which I use to do calculations to record the dying of our atmosphere, a triumph of fear, dogma and ignorance that did not have to be, but nonetheless is, a fact.

Facts matter.

When writing these depressing repeating posts about new records being set, reminiscent, over the years, to the ticking of a clock at a deathwatch, I often repeat some of the language from a previous post on this awful series, as I am doing here with some modifications. It saves time. In this case, the abbreviated text I use for reports on worst ever months.

The previous such post, from a few months ago, referring to the worst November ever, November 2024 as compared to November 2023 is here: The worst monthly average increase in CO2 concentrations for any November has just registered.

Here's the data for January 2025 average over January 2024's average:

Monthly Average Mauna Loa CO2

The increase in these averages is 3.85 ppm.

This is the worst such increase for any January average going back over the last 65 years of records.

It is the 5th highest such increase for any month's average of any year as compared to the previous year's average.

In 2024, similar records were set for the following months, with such increases available for 768 such comparators:

February 2024's average as compared to February 2023 was 4.25 ppm, It is the 2nd highest out of 768 such increase for any month's average of any year as compared to the previous year's average.

March 2024's average as compared to March 2023 was 4.38 ppm, it is the single highest out of 768 such increase for any month's average of any year as compared to the previous year's average.

July 2024's average as compared to July 2023 was 3.41 ppm, it is the 16th highest such increase out of 768 for any month's average of any year as compared to the previous year's average.

The aforementioned November 2024's average as compared to November 2023 was 3.39 ppm, it is the 21st highest out of 768 such increase for any month's average of any year as compared to the previous year's average.

December 2024's average as compared to December 2023 was 3.54 ppm, it is the 13th highest such increase out of 768 for any month's average of any year as compared to the previous year's average.

If any of this bothers you, don't worry, be happy.

Happily or unhappily, depending on how one sees things, e still have assholes here at DU who will tell you all about how wonderful Tesla electric cars and Powerwalls® are, how the fucking Nazi bastard King of the United States, King Eloon the first, is promising to free his cobalt slaves in Africa and use fewer lanthanides, even as he works to reestablish Apartheid in the United States.

It's pretty fucking obvious that all these electric car fantasies, all the solar and wind so called "renewable energy" bullshit one hears, oblivious to the mining and land use cost involved, the hydrogen bullshit that's been running, waxing and waning for half a century with no result except giving the marketing budget of fossil fuel interests something to do, didn't do a fucking thing except make things get worse faster and faster, but why embrace reality when wishful thinking is so damned pleasant?

As for me, my strong opinion that nuclear energy is the last best hope of the planet is not subject to change by appeals to clap trap about so called "nuclear waste," the big bogeymen at Fukushima, Chernobyl (and even more silly) Three Mile Island, “nuclear is too expensive” bullshit blah, blah, blah...

In my opinion, a burning planet, with ecosystems and agricultural systems facing collapse is way more expensive than nuclear power could ever be, far more dangerous than nuclear power could ever be, but then again, I just do the numbers. Numbers don't lie. People lie, to themselves and to each other, but numbers don't lie.

But don't worry. Be happy.

Enjoy the consumer fest of the Superbowl tonight. Bread and circuses: those who are about to die, salute you.