The “carbon pulse” is the rapid increase in the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases resulting from human activities due to burning of fossil fuels, changes in land-use, and other global drivers of climate change. It is one of the most distinct and measurable human impacts to global environmental and climate systems, leading to changes in temperatures, sea levels, ice sheets, atmospheric and oceanic circulation, and more. Although the carbon pulse has taken place over long-term geological timescales, it has intensified over the last 180 years, appearing in a relatively short-term span in relation to the planet's entire timeline. It is anticipated to create continuing and even more dramatic cascades of global, ecological, and public health impacts that will require creative solutions to mitigate, adapt, and remediate.

See also: fossil carbon, ecological economics, perverse incentive, renewable energy