Before the Industrial Revolution began in the mid-1700s, about how much CO2 was in the atmosphere?
Answer280 ppm or less
Today's level of about 423 ppm is roughly 50% higher.
Source: NOAA Climate.gov (2025) climate.gov
Science · Facts & sources
Carbon facts & stats
5 sourced facts about carbon dioxide and carbon emissions, each with the context behind the number. 4 more are in today's round and appear here after it closes.
The basics
About how much carbon dioxide does a typical U.S. passenger car emit per year?
Answerabout 4.6 metric tons
EPA assumes about 22.2 miles per gallon and around 11,500 miles driven per year.
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency epa.gov
Going deeper
How did global fossil fuel CO2 emissions change in 2025, according to the Global Carbon Budget projection?
Answerprojected to rise 1.1%, to a record high
The Global Carbon Budget is produced by more than 100 researchers from 70 organizations in 18 countries.
Source: Global Carbon Project, Global Carbon Budget 2025 (2025) globalcarbonbudget.org
Expert level
How much did global average atmospheric CO2 rise in 2024 alone?
Answer3.75 ppm
It was the largest one-year increase on record. The recent rate of increase is 100–200 times faster than natural rises at the end of the last ice age.
Source: NOAA Climate.gov (2024) climate.gov
How much CO2 is created by burning one gallon of gasoline?
Answerabout 8,887 grams
The carbon in the fuel combines with oxygen from the air as it burns, so the CO2 produced weighs more than the gasoline itself.
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency epa.gov
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