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Last week the world's atmosphere took a giant leap backward. For the first time in more than 3 million years, the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) reached 400 parts per million. This was recorded at the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration's Earth System Research Laboratory located on Mauna Loa in Hawaii right out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, a long way from major sources of CO2 in Asia and North America. What this means for the environment is uncertain but it's likely that, if no measures are taken to reduce this level of greenhouse gas, we could be headed for 3-4 degrees C warming globally by the end of this century

"A NASA science team has observed "amazing and potentially troubling" levels of methane and CO2 from the rapidly warming Arctic. Given the staggering amount of carbon trapped in the permafrost - and the fact that methane is a very potent heat-trapping gas - the space agency is now asking: "Is a Sleeping Climate Giant Stirring in the Arctic?""

"When we talk about greenhouse gases we usually talk about carbon dioxide. When media reports depict climate change, we invariably see the cooling towers of a coal power station. Which is fair, because carbon dioxide, or CO2, is the big one: nearly 75% of Australia's total greenhouse gas emissions are carbon dioxide. Most of those come from the energy sector and the combustion of fossil fuels. But there are other gases involved in the greenhouse story. Methane and nitrous oxide are also contributors to Australia's greenhouse gas account. And both have a much greater impact on the atmosphere in terms of global warming than carbon dioxide."

At the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, the latest on-site measurements of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by the Scripps Institute of Oceanography reveal that global atmospheric carbon-dioxide (CO2) concentrations reached 391.3 parts per million (ppm) in 2011, up from 388.56 ppm in 2010 and from 280 ppm from pre-industrial times. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), in order to have a 90-percent chance of avoiding dangerous changes in climate, greenhouse-gases (GHGs) concentrations need to be stabilized at 450 ppm, which would roughly translate into an average temperature increase of 2° Celsius. This means that to stabilize GHG concentrations at 450 ppm, global GHG emissions will need to peak before 2015 and be reduced to 50 percent of their 2000 level by 2050.

"What the world needs to watch"

"Hopes for 'safe' temperature increase within 2C fade as Hawaii station documents second-greatest emissions increase"

A study has found that increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere can reduce the amount of water plants need to grow. Carbon dioxide concentrations recently exceeded 400 parts per million for the first time in three million years. But researchers at the Australian National University say the benefits of higher CO2 levels could partially offset some of the negative affects of climate change.

Which countries in the world emit the most carbon dioxide? How fast has China overtaken the US to reach the number one position? And why does Gibraltar have such high emissions per person? This interactive guide made for us by Craig Bloodworth of the Information Lab gives you a way to navigate the latest Energy Information Administration data

"For the first time, Facebook has revealed its carbon footprint, with over 900 million users. While the social network has grown rapidly, the good news is that its carbon emissions are still significantly lower than fellow internet giant, and sustainability conscious, Google. In 2011, Facebook's annual emissions were apparently 285,000 metric tonnes of CO2, compared to 1.5 million tonnes created by Google in 2010."

"Yesterday saw the launch by Prime Minister David Cameron of the world's largest offshore wind power plant, the London Array, located in the Thames estuary, approximately 20 kilometres off the Kent and Essex coast.  Owned, developed and built by a consortium consisting of Dong Energy, E.ON and Masdar (Abu Dhabi's state backed renewable energy company), it has a total capacity of 630 megawatts (MW) and will generate enough power to supply 500,000 British households with clean electricity.  It is estimated to reduce annual CO2 emissions by approximately 900,000 tons, equivalent to the emissions of 300,000 passenger cars. Construction involved over 75 organisations and 6,700 people."

"The Carbon Capture and Sequestration Technologies Program at MIT conducts research into technologies to capture, utilize, and store CO2 from large stationary sources. Initiated in 1989, our program is internationally recognized as a leader in this field. A major component of the program is the Carbon Sequestration Initiative, an industrial consortium launched in July 2000."

350 means safety from the climate crisis. To preserve our planet, scientists tell us we must reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere from its current level of 392 parts per million ("ppm")to below 350 ppm. But 350 is more than a number-it's a symbol of where we need to head as a planet. At 350.org, we're building a global grassroots movement to solve the climate crisis and push for policies that will put the world on track to get to 350 ppm.

At a time when over 60% of adults and 25% of children in Australia are obese or overweight and the world is experiencing an unprecedented increase in atmospheric CO2 and associated climate change, there is compelling evidence from both the health and sustainability literature that seaweeds should become a common part of global diets. Seaweeds are incredibly nutritious and can significantly reduce obesity and associated illnesses. Regular consumption of seaweeds thus has the potential to enhance the health of societies now, and for generations to come. Would you like seaweed with that? Sustainable nutrition solutions using Australian seaweeds. A crowdfunding project on Pozible.com/seaweed

One of the world's most complex experiments on the impact of rising levels of carbon dioxide is taking shape in eastern Australia, where giant steel frames nine stories high have been built on native woodland.  The project near Sydney will mimic future climatic conditions by simulating higher atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is pumped into an environmental "time machine" on the outskirts of Sydney, aiming to predict how vegetation will react to future climate change.