REUTERS/Peter Andrews/Files

GENEVA (Reuters) – The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere hit a new record of 405.5 parts per million in 2017, up from 403.3 ppm in 2016, with no sign of reversal in the trend, the World Meteorological Organization said in its annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin. “Every fraction of a degree of global warming matters, and so does every part per million of greenhouse gases.”

With files from the Associated Press
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That came just hours after Trump, who once called global warming a “hoax” and has pulled the United States out of the Paris climate agreement, floated a new question about climate change on Twitter: “Brutal and Extended Cold Blast could shatter ALL RECORDS - Whatever happened to Global Warming?”

Despite that, Kabat cited a “global transformation” underway in thinking about global warming, saying “the point of no return has been passed.” He said efforts by some industries, in civil society and by local officials could “overtake” governmental agreements or statements on the issue. “Despite the statements of President Trump, there is still a very concrete and specific movement by the agencies under the administration to actually make the case of action against climate change,” Kabat said. The World Meteorological Organization says globally-averaged concentrations of carbon-dioxide reached 405.5 parts per million in 2017, up slightly from the previous year and from 400.1 in 2015. The rate of increase is in line with the average growth rate over the last decade, which was the fastest rate for 55 million years, the WMO said. READ MORE: Rachel Notley unveils carbon tax break for oil and gas drilling companies

“The most alarming thing is that … half of the increase from pre-industrial times comes within the last 30 years,” said Oksana Tarasova, head of WMO’s atmospheric environment research.
The World Meteorological Organization reports that average global carbon dioxide concentrations rose to 405.5 parts per million in 2017. They say this level was not seen since at least 3 million years ago.