New data on carbon shows that China's emissions per head of population have surpassed the EU for the first time. The researchers say that India is also forecast to beat Europe's CO2 output in 2019. Scientists say that global totals are increasing fast and will likely exceed the limit for dangerous climate change within 30 years. The world has already used up two thirds of the warming gases researchers calculate will breach 2 degrees C. The Global Carbon Project involves researchers from several different institutes around the world and it provides objective details on the scale of annual emissions. The latest data shows that a record 36 billion tonnes of carbon from all human sources were emitted in 2013. Top ten emitters 2013 - % of global total China - 29 USA - 15 EU - 10 India - 7.1 Russian Federation - 5.3 Japan - 3.7 Germany - 2.2 Republic of Korea - 1.8 Iran - 1.8 Saudi Arabia - 1.5 The biggest emitters were China, which produced 29% of the total, followed by the US at 15%, the EU at 10% and India at 7.1% But in an interesting development, China's emissions per head of population exceeding those of the European Union for the first time. While the per capita average for the world as a whole is 5 tonnes of carbon dioxide, China is now producing 7.2 tonnes per person, to the EU's 6.8 tonnes. The US is still far ahead on 16.5 tonnes per person. "We now see China's per capita emissions surpassing the EU," said Dr Robbie Andrew, from the Centre for International Climate and Environmental Research in Norway, who was involved in the research.

Arctic Ocean 'acidifying rapidly'

Photo1: Saunders Island and Wolstenholme Fjord with Kap Atholl in the background is shown in this picture taken during an Operation IceBridge survey flight in April 2013.
Photo 2: arctic volcano.

The Arctic seas are being made rapidly more acidic by carbon-dioxide emissions, according to a new report.

Scientists from Norway's Center for International Climate and Environmental Research monitored widespread changes in ocean chemistry in the region.

They say even if CO2 emissions stopped now, it would take tens of thousands of years for Arctic Ocean chemistry to revert to pre-industrial levels.

Many creatures, including commercially valuable fish, could be affected.

They forecast major changes in the marine ecosystem, but say there is huge uncertainty over what those changes will be.

It is well know that CO2 warms the planet, but less well-known that it also makes the alkaline seas more acidic when its absorbed from the air.

The Arctic

The Arctic region contains a vast ice-covered ocean roughly centred on the Earth's geographic North Pole
The Sun doesn't rise at all on the shortest day of the year within the Arctic Circle
Humans have inhabited the Arctic region for thousands of years, and the current population is four million
Geologists estimate the Arctic may hold up to 25% of the world's remaining oil and natural gas
Watch the dramatic retreat of some of the world's largest glaciers