Greenhouse gases hit new high, rise accelerates

OSLO, Feb 16 (Reuters) Greenhouse gases have hit a new record in the atmosphere and the build-up is accelerating, apparently because of industrial growth in Asia, a researcher said today.

''Levels are at a new high,'' said Kim Holmen, research director of the Norwegian Polar Institute which oversees a measuring station on the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard about 1,200 km from the North Pole.

He told Reuters that concentrations of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas blamed for global warming and emitted largely by burning fossil fuels, had risen to 390 parts per million (ppm) from 388 a year ago.

Concentrations have hit peaks almost every year in recent decades and are far above 270 ppm before the Industrial Revolution of the 18th century.

Reuters KR DB2114