CO2 at 425 ppm: Gazette opinion letter warns rising carbon dioxide is warming the planet

Atmospheric CO2 levels have reached 425 ppm, up from about 280 ppm before the industrial era, according to a new opinion letter in The Gazette. The author, Ron Sadler of Cedar Rapids, argues the rapid rise is already warming the planet and calls on readers to act. The letter uses a blanket analogy to explain how carbon dioxide traps heat and points to the speed of change since 1950 as the core concern. The piece is a short opinion column rather than a scientific study, but it reflects the mainstream climate science view that rising CO2 is driving global temperature increases. For readers interested in carbon markets or decarbonization, it is a reminder that atmospheric concentration keeps climbing even as policy and project activity accelerate. The letter offers no specific policy proposals, but it frames the urgency behind the broader push for emissions cuts, grid modernization, and clean energy deployment.