evidence: A detailed analysis of ancient Antarctic ice has revealed that carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are rising 10 times faster than at any point in the past 50,000 years. [...] "Studying the past teaches us how today is different. The rate of CO2 change today really is unprecedented," says Kathleen Wendt, an assistant professor at Oregon State University's College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences and the study's lead author. "Our research identified the fastest rates of past natural CO2 rise ever observed, and the rate occurring today, largely driven by human emissions, is 10 times higher."