FOSSILS ET AL.
The Natural Forces of Renewal — From the Depths of a Patagonian Volcano
An intimate encounter with nature, chaos, and creation amidst a fractured world
In 1991, as I took my first breath, Earth’s atmosphere held 355 parts per million of CO₂; today, that number has skyrocketed past 422 ppm. That’s a 66 ppm increase during my lifetime, compared to just 40 ppm in the 33 years before my birth.
During that year, furnaces, engines, and deforested lands emitted 23.23 billion tonnes of this planet-warming gas; today, they spew more than 37 billion tonnes — a 60% increase. Save for a few hiccups (economic slumps, a global pandemic), humanity has been on a carbon feast, consistently releasing more CO₂ into the atmosphere each year for at least two centuries.
The result? Our once gentle climate, caught in a fever dream, is now a roller coaster of extremes.
The evidence is everywhere, screaming for attention. Global heating indicators are off the charts — seas rising, glaciers vanishing, Antarctic ice disappearing, and oceans boiling. 2023 shattered records as the hottest year ever, and 2024? It’s set to surpass it, as indicated by Dr. Gavin Schmidt, director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies.
