Carbon Dioxide Levels Topped 400 PPM Throughout Northern Hemisphere In April, WMO Says

 

By Tom Miles

GENEVA, May 26 (Reuters) - Carbon dioxide levels throughout the northern hemisphere hit 400
parts per million (ppm) for the first time in human history in April, an ominous threshold for climate change, the World Meteorological Organization said on Monday.

The 400 ppm level in the atmosphere, up 40 percent since wide use of fossil fuels began with the Industrial Revolution, is rapidly spreading southwards. First recorded in 2012 in the Arctic, it has since become the norm for the Arctic spring.

The WMO expects the global annual average carbon dioxide concentration to be above 400 ppm in 2015 or 2016. Rising concentrations of the heat-trapping gas raise risks of more heatwaves, droughts and rising sea levels.

"Time is running out," WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud said in a statement.

"This should serve as yet another wake-up call about the constantly rising levels of greenhouse gases which are driving climate change. If we are to preserve our planet for future generations, we need urgent action to curb new emissions of these heat-trapping gases."

Almost 200 governments have agreed to work out a deal by the end of 2015 to slow climate change as part of efforts to limit the average temperature increase to two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial times.

Temperatures have already risen about 0.8C (1.4F).

In April, the U.N.'s panel of climate experts said that greenhouse gas concentrations, led by carbon dioxide, would have to be kept below 450 ppm to give a good chance of achieving the 2C goal.

The level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is seasonal, since plants absorb more in the summer months, causing a peak in the spring. The northern hemisphere, with more human-related sources of the gas, has a more pronounced seasonal cycle.

Carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere for hundreds of years. It is emitted by fossil-fueled vehicles and coal-fired factories and power plants as well as by natural activities such as breathing.

During the last 800,000 years, the level of atmospheric carbon dioxide fluctuated between 180 ppm and 280 ppm, and has probably not been above 400 ppm for millions of years, scientists say.

With the widespread burning of coal and oil during the Industrial Revolution, the concentration of carbon dioxide rose to about 290 ppm by the end of the 19th century.

That accelerated last century, with levels between 370 and 380 ppm by the year 2000. An animated graph that shows the history of atmospheric carbon dioxide is online at http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/trends/history.html. (Reporting by Tom Miles, editing by Alister Doyle)

Millionaire hides envelopes of cash around San Francisco

This is an important public service announcement for anyone who lives in San Francisco: Stop what you're doing, lace up your running shoes, and go follow @HiddenCash on Twitter. One anonymous millionaire could make you a little bit richer, if you're quick enough.

On KPIX, "They were checking Twitter and said that right outside in the plaza someone was hiding $100 dollar bills under the chair out here. And I guess we were just a little bit too late to grab it today."

Here's how it works: Envelopes of cash have been mysteriously appearing around San Francisco over the weekend. To find the money, aspiring treasure hunters have to follow the Twitter account @HiddenCash, which tweets out clues and photos for every cash drop.

Once the tweet is out, the hunt is on. The lucky San Franciscans who managed to track down the money often posted Twitter pictures of their find. Just look at those happy faces!

Unfortunately, not every searcher got a happy ending. Here's Turner Kirk on Vine.

The mysterious benefactor behind @HiddenCash is remaining anonymous for now, but local paper The Bold Italic reports whoever's responsible made a fortune selling real estate in the Bay Area.

The @HiddenCash founder told the outlet​: "I've made millions of dollars the last few years, more than I ever imagined. ... This is my way of giving back to the community and also having fun." The founder also emphasized that much of his or her money had been given to proper charities.

Of course, random $100 bills probably won't solve the city's severe inequality problem - a recent analysis by The Brookings Institution found the wealth gap between San Francisco's richest and poorest citizens is growing faster than anywhere else in the country. Still, it's the thought that counts, right?

So far, @HiddenCash has given out about $4,000 in free money - and the cash flow isn't going to dry up anytime soon. The wealthy cash dropper told ABC the social experiment might even expand to other cities soon.

 http://www.aol.com/article/2014/05/26/millionaire-hides-envelopes-of-cash-around-san-francisco/20892839/?ncid=webmail19

Top 50 Highest-Paid CEOs

Les Moonves, CEO of CBS, is the second highest paid CEO In 2013.
NEW YORK (AP) - Here are the 50 highest-paid CEOs of 2013, as calculated by The Associated Press and Equilar, an executive pay research firm:

1. Anthony Petrello, Nabors Industries, $68.2 million, up 246 percent

2. Leslie Moonves, CBS, $65.6 million, up 9 percent

3. Richard Adkerson, Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, $55.3 million, up 294 percent

4. Stephen Kaufer, TripAdvisor, $39 million, up 510 percent

5. Philippe Dauman, Viacom, $37.2 million, up 11 percent

6. Leonard Schleifer, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, $36.3 million, up 21 percent

7. Robert Iger, Walt Disney, $34.3 million, up 46 percent.

8. David Zaslav, Discovery Communications, $33.3 million, down 33 percent

9. Jeffrey Bewkes, Time Warner, $32.5 million, up 27 percent

10. Brian Roberts, Comcast, $31.4 million, up 8 percent

11. Mark Bertolini, Aetna, $30.7 million, up 132 percent

12. Rex Tillerson, ExxonMobil, $28.1 million, up 3 percent

13. Brian Goldner, Hasbro, $27.4 million, up 188 percent

14. David Cote, Honeywell International, $26 million, up 63 percent

15. Steve Ells, Chipotle Mexican Grill co-CEO, $25.1 million, up 27 percent

16. Montgomery Moran, Chipotle Mexican Grill co-CEO, $24.4 million, up 27 percent

17. James McNerney, Boeing, $23.3 million, up 50 percent

18. Alan Mulally, Ford Motor Co., $23.2 million, up 32 percent

19. Alexander Cutler, Eaton, $23.1 million, up 24 percent

20. Laurence Fink, BlackRock, $22.9 million, up 13 percent

21. Larry Merlo, CVS Caremark, $22.9 million, up 59 percent

22. Trevor Fetter, Tenet Healthcare, $22.7 million, up 180 percent

23. Sandeep Mathrani, General Growth Properties, $22.1 million, up 424 percent

24. Paal Kibsgaard, Schlumberger, $22 million, up 30 percent

25. Kenneth Chenault, American Express, $21.7 million, down 15 percent

26. Brian Jellison, Roper Industries, $21.4 million, up 18 percent

27. David Nelms, Discover Financial Services, $21.2 million, up 113 percent

28. Robert Hugin, Celgene, $21 million, up 99 percent

29. Miles White, Abbott Laboratories, $20.9 million, up 34 percent

30. David Lesar, Halliburton, $20.9 million, up 20 percent

31. Lamberto Andreotti, Bristol-Myers Squibb, $20.8 million, up 29 percent

32. Randall Stephenson, AT&T, $20.7 million, up 10 percent

33. Carol Meyrowitz, TJX Companies, $20.7 million, up 9 percent

34. Andrew Liveris, Dow Chemical, $20.5 million, up 21 percent

35. Paul Jacobs, Qualcomm, $20.4 million, up 2 percent(asterisk)

36. John Watson, Chevron, $20.2 million, down 9 percent

37. Lloyd Blankfein, Goldman Sachs, $19.9 million, up 162 percent

38. Lawrence Culp, Danaher, $19.7 million, down 11 percent

39. Stephen Wynn, Wynn Resorts, $19.6 million, up 10 percent

40. David Calhoun, Nielsen Holdings, $19.5 million, up 40 percent **

41. James Cracchiolo, Ameriprise Financial, $19.4 million, up 20 percent

42. John Stumpf, Wells Fargo, $19.3 million, up 4 percent

43. Jeffrey Immelt, General Electric, $19.2 million, up 264 percent

44. George Chapman, Health Care REIT, $18.9 million, up 73 percent***

45. Glenn Murphy, GAP, $18.7 million, down 24 percent

46. Robert Niblock, Lowe's Companies, $18.7 million, up 54 percent

47. Richard Kramer, Goodyear Tire & Rubber, $18.7 million, up 178 percent

48. Richard Fairbank, Capital One Financial, $18.3 million, down 19 percent

49. Louis Chenevert, United Technologies, $18.2 million, up 4 percent

50. Ahmet Kent, Coca-Cola Co., $18.2 million, down 21 percent

(asterisk) Jacobs stepped down as CEO on December 13, 2014.

** Calhoun stepped down as CEO on January 1, 2014.

*** Chapman retired April 14, 2014.