In a striking new video, the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center shows exactly how carbon pollution travels across the planet over the course of a year, moving away from the largest polluters and across the atmosphere. This computer model also shows how carbon dioxide levels can fluctuate throughout the year, and how its path is affected by things like wind, weather, and geography.
Another video shows a close-up of North America, where pollution largely comes from the midwest and East Coast.
This simulation is from 2006. Now, eight years later, we've reached frightening new records, driven by our burning of fossil fuels. For three straight months this summer, the U.S. measured carbon dioxide concentration levels at a record-breaking 400 parts per million—a level not seen in modern history.