Comments on: Part 2 of 5: What Chemistry Tells Us http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/06/21/human_cause-2/ Blogging the science and policy of global warming Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:13:20 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5.2 hourly 1 By: Sheryl Canter http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/06/21/human_cause-2/comment-page-1/#comment-287 Sheryl Canter Wed, 10 Oct 2007 19:51:54 +0000 http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/06/21/human_cause-2/#comment-287 Dave, warmer air does not hold less oxygen. Warmer water holds less oxygen - maybe you're thinking of that. Dave, warmer air does not hold less oxygen. Warmer water holds less oxygen – maybe you're thinking of that.

]]> By: Dave http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/06/21/human_cause-2/comment-page-1/#comment-286 Dave Sat, 06 Oct 2007 22:21:19 +0000 http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/06/21/human_cause-2/#comment-286 Re: This key passage above: "Anything that burns consumes oxygen. If the extra CO2 in the atmosphere is coming from burning fossil fuels, then the concentration of oxygen should be decreasing. Is it?" (The following graph shows oxygen concentration decreasing, as is apparently expected from the human-combustion theory) If warm air always holds less oxygen (I think this is true), then the oxygen levels are expected to be dropping anyway, whether or not human combustion is the cause of the warming. The author should demonstrate that the reduction in concentration of oxygen is not simply the reduction that is expected from the warmer atmospheric temperatures alone. Re: This key passage above: "Anything that burns consumes oxygen. If the extra CO2 in the atmosphere is coming from burning fossil fuels, then the concentration of oxygen should be decreasing. Is it?" (The following graph shows oxygen concentration decreasing, as is apparently expected from the human-combustion theory)

If warm air always holds less oxygen (I think this is true), then the oxygen levels are expected to be dropping anyway, whether or not human combustion is the cause of the warming. The author should demonstrate that the reduction in concentration of oxygen is not simply the reduction that is expected from the warmer atmospheric temperatures alone.

]]> By: Sheryl Canter http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/06/21/human_cause-2/comment-page-1/#comment-285 Sheryl Canter Thu, 09 Aug 2007 17:08:01 +0000 http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/06/21/human_cause-2/#comment-285 Here are links to previous posts that address your arguments: <a href="http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/02/28/water_vapor_fallacy/" rel="nofollow">The Water Vapor Fallacy</a>. <a href="http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/03/07/tipping_point/" rel="nofollow">Four-Part Series on Action Needed to Stop Global Warming</a> (explains how much reduction in carbon emissions is needed, and how getting there will not cripple the economy). Here are links to previous posts that address your arguments:

The Water Vapor Fallacy.

Four-Part Series on Action Needed to Stop Global Warming (explains how much reduction in carbon emissions is needed, and how getting there will not cripple the economy).

]]> By: AdrianVance http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/06/21/human_cause-2/comment-page-1/#comment-284 AdrianVance Sun, 05 Aug 2007 05:15:11 +0000 http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/06/21/human_cause-2/#comment-284 CO2 is a trace gas in the atmosphere. Water vapor absorbs four times as much IR in the 1 to 16 micron range of "heat waves" and has 200 times as many molecules. Thus, it has 800 times the effect of CO2 which is insignificant to all but those who want to tax carbon and bring America down. Of the 186 gigatons of CO2 produced on Earth every year, man makes six of it and the USA makes only 20% of that or 0.64% of the total. Cutting our energy use and CO2 by 50% per Kyoto will only reduce the CO2 production by 0.32% from what it would be otherwise, but it would ruin America. CO2 is a trace gas in the atmosphere. Water vapor absorbs four times as much IR in the 1 to 16 micron range of "heat waves" and has 200 times as many molecules. Thus, it has 800 times the effect of CO2 which is insignificant to all but those who want to tax carbon and bring America down.

Of the 186 gigatons of CO2 produced on Earth every year, man makes six of it and the USA makes only 20% of that or 0.64% of the total. Cutting our energy use and CO2 by 50% per Kyoto will only reduce the CO2 production by 0.32% from what it would be otherwise, but it would ruin America.

]]> By: Climate 411 &#187; Part 4 of 5: Medieval Warming Period - Environmental Defense http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/06/21/human_cause-2/comment-page-1/#comment-283 Climate 411 &#187; Part 4 of 5: Medieval Warming Period - Environmental Defense Thu, 12 Jul 2007 22:29:16 +0000 http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/06/21/human_cause-2/#comment-283 [...] LeftClimate 411 » Part 5 of 5:  The Only Explanation Left - Environmental Defense on Part 4 of 5: Medieval Warming PeriodClimate 411 » Part 5 of 5:  The Only Explanation Left - Environmental Defense on Part 1 of 5:A 175-year-old Puzzle [...] [...] LeftClimate 411 &#187; Part 5 of 5:  The Only Explanation Left – Environmental Defense on Part 4 of 5: Medieval Warming PeriodClimate 411 &#187; Part 5 of 5:  The Only Explanation Left – Environmental Defense on Part 1 of 5:A 175-year-old Puzzle [...]

]]> By: Sheryl Canter http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/06/21/human_cause-2/comment-page-1/#comment-282 Sheryl Canter Thu, 05 Jul 2007 15:32:19 +0000 http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/06/21/human_cause-2/#comment-282 Our <a href="http://fightglobalwarming.com rel="nofollow">fightglobalwarming.com</a> Web site has a whole section on things you can do to stop global warming. Link is <a href="http://fightglobalwarming.com/page.cfm?tagID=135" rel="nofollow">here</a>. Our fightglobalwarming.com Web site has a whole section on things you can do to stop global warming. Link is here.

]]> By: tania ramirez http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/06/21/human_cause-2/comment-page-1/#comment-281 tania ramirez Tue, 03 Jul 2007 18:24:52 +0000 http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/06/21/human_cause-2/#comment-281 So ? What can the ordinary people do? Housewives,teachers,students etc. Advices should be done in a public way for the benefit of the environment So ? What can the ordinary people do? Housewives,teachers,students etc. Advices should be done in a public way for the benefit of the environment

]]> By: Sheryl Canter http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/06/21/human_cause-2/comment-page-1/#comment-280 Sheryl Canter Fri, 29 Jun 2007 21:17:26 +0000 http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/06/21/human_cause-2/#comment-280 <p>I don't know that deforestation is the "biggest" problem, but it's certainly a significant problem. We've talked about it in several places in the blog already:</p> <p><a href="http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/04/26/slicing-the-greenhouse-gas-pie-what-gases/" rel="nofollow" rel="nofollow">Slicing the greenhouse gas pie: What gases?</a><br /> <a href="http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/04/26/slicing-the-greenhouse-gas-pie-where-from/" rel="nofollow" rel="nofollow">Slicing the greenhouse gas pie: Where from?</a><br /> <a href="http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/05/17/ag_offsets_book/" rel="nofollow" rel="nofollow">Agricultural Offsets</a><br /> <a href="http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/06/04/how-does-cap-and-trade-work/#comment-229" rel="nofollow" rel="nofollow">Comment from Annie Petsonk on Deforestation</a></p> Also, Annie Petsonk (our International Council - she works on the deforestation problem) will be writing a more extensive post about it in the next few weeks. It's already in the works - stay tuned! I don't know that deforestation is the "biggest" problem, but it's certainly a significant problem. We've talked about it in several places in the blog already:

Slicing the greenhouse gas pie: What gases?
Slicing the greenhouse gas pie: Where from?
Agricultural Offsets
Comment from Annie Petsonk on Deforestation

Also, Annie Petsonk (our International Council – she works on the deforestation problem) will be writing a more extensive post about it in the next few weeks. It's already in the works – stay tuned!

]]> By: Climate 411 &#187; Part 3 of 5: Causes of Past Climate Change - Environmental Defense http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/06/21/human_cause-2/comment-page-1/#comment-279 Climate 411 &#187; Part 3 of 5: Causes of Past Climate Change - Environmental Defense Fri, 29 Jun 2007 20:47:29 +0000 http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/06/21/human_cause-2/#comment-279 [...] Part 2 of 5: What Chemistry Tells Us [...] [...] Part 2 of 5: What Chemistry Tells Us [...]

]]> By: odie http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/06/21/human_cause-2/comment-page-1/#comment-278 odie Fri, 29 Jun 2007 10:59:55 +0000 http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/06/21/human_cause-2/#comment-278 WHY is it that everyone talks only about CO2-emissions? Why doesn't anyone acknowledge the fact that it's deforestation that is the biggest problem?? Forests, be they Amazonian or temperate, are our lungs, remember? They can (or could) absorb great loads of CO2 and produce O2. It's incredible - the Phoenicians and the Romans destroyed the Mediterranean forests and turned the lush country to dry eroded land - and here we are doing the same to the whole planet. For beef and biofuel and paper... Too delicate, is it? WHY is it that everyone talks only about CO2-emissions? Why doesn't anyone acknowledge the fact that it's deforestation that is the biggest problem?? Forests, be they Amazonian or temperate, are our lungs, remember? They can (or could) absorb great loads of CO2 and produce O2. It's incredible – the Phoenicians and the Romans destroyed the Mediterranean forests and turned the lush country to dry eroded land – and here we are doing the same to the whole planet. For beef and biofuel and paper… Too delicate, is it?

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