Scientist says CO2 levels reach 'dangerous territory'

The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has steadily risen from 317 parts per million in 1958, when measurements began, to 400, according to the CO2 monitoring programme at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Scientists believe the last time CO2 levels were at the 400 parts per million level was 2 to 4 million years ago. Sea levels during that period were up to 131 feet higher.
"We're moving into dangerous territory," Ralph Keeling, who runs the programme, told CBS News. He believes efforts to curb carbon dioxide emissions have failed and some impacts of climate change are irreversible.
"There are lots of threats to human beings in these changes. We don't know exactly how big but it's very unlikely that we're going to get through this without major turmoil," he said.
Most scientists believe the burning of fossil fuels is causing a rapid rise in carbon dioxide levels. This greenhouse gas traps heat, changes weather patterns and raises sea levels.//DPA