Beam me to Planet Gore !
Posted on 11/30/2011 12:26:57 PM PST by MichCapCon
The concentrations of three main greenhouse gases blamed for global warming were at record levels last year and will linger for decades, according to a recent Reuters article that cited the United Nations’ weather agency.
But three experts contacted by Michigan Capitol Confidential are critical of the news story.
John Christy is a professor of atmospheric science and director of the Earth System Science Center at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. He also served as Alabama's state climatologist.
Christy questions a paragraph in the story that reads: “The report adds to a number of warnings that time is running out to act on climate change and prevent worsening extreme weather as the Earth's temperature rises.”
“Extreme weather is not increasing to any significant degree,” Christy wrote in an email. “The latest IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) draft even says so.”
Christy said the concentration of carbon dioxide was several times higher when plant life evolved than it is now. “So these are far from being ‘record amounts’ when Earth’s history is considered.”
Increased carbon dioxide is also a sign of an improving world related to the standard of living “for those who struggle the most,” Christy said.
David Legates is a professor of geography and the former director of the Center for Climatic Research at the University of Delaware. He also served as the Delaware state climatologist. He said the main greenhouse gas is not carbon dioxide but rather water vapor, which can’t be regulated.
“Water vapor accounts for about (five-sixths) of the warming attributable to all greenhouse gases,” Legates said in an email.
Legates said greenhouse gases often increase the concentrations of carbon dioxide in the air and enhance growth and make plants more efficient with their water use.
“Despite what we are often told by the media, climate is more variable during colder times than warmer periods and storminess actually is less (both for tropical activity and mid-latitude weather systems). Thus, increased CO2 has significant benefits both for plants and our climate,” Legates said. “ … despite dramatically rising levels of CO2, mean global temperature has remained relatively constant over the last 10 to 15 years. That means that something at least as important as CO2 has been affecting our climate and that greenhouse gases are NOT the single most important driver in climate change. Note too that climate has always changed and it always will -- any policy that attempts to 'stabilize' global temperatures is destined to fail since it purports to stop nature!”
William Happer is a professor of physics at Princeton University and is a former director of energy research at the U.S. Department of Energy.
Happer wrote in a study that before the industrial revolution, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was about 270 parts per million (ppm). He said currently it is about 390 ppm. Happer said geological evidence indicates that about 50 million years ago, carbon dioxide levels were several thousand ppm, “and life flourished abundantly.”
Happer wrote in an email that carbon dioxide levels are increasing at a rate of at 2 ppm per year, and so it would take 600 years at that rate to add 1,200 ppm.
“And over most of the geological history of the earth, CO2 levels have been higher than 1,600 ppm. Plants would love it, and the rest of the world biosphere would also benefit.”
“...three main greenhouse gases ...”
Uh....water vapor is 95% and has so many variables contributing to density and location as to make modeling impossible.
Haven’t we been at the “tipping point” and “running out of time” for at least 10 years now?
As a scientist I can document that ALL life forms, living and dead, have or have had CHON, (Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen), in them.
Most Carbon comes from CO2.
Hence, CO2 is essential to all life.
Thus, CO2 is an environmentally friendly gas.
Deal with it!
BTW, I have chosen to deal with it by consuming more carbonated beverages, especially beer.
BTW, BTW, I try to do my part to generate more CO2, so how about some help from the anti-Algore majority? Do it for the coral reefs, oysters on the half shell, lush green grass fairways at your favorite golf course, corn-as-high-as-an-Elephant’s-eye in Iowa, bigger trees for the tree-huggers, stronger bones for the long distances runners from Kenya, - - - - . Oops, crossed the line there - - - , sorry.
For warmists, it's more like 35 years.
And before that, the iceists were baying at the moon and proposing to paint the poles with carbon black.
I have a long memory.
It’s still our fault! If we weren’t, there would be no one to bitch. /s (just in case)
I, too have decided to do my part by consuming more beer. Unfortunately, this seems to result in me producing greater quantities of methane. Any advice you could give me, as a scientist, as to what course of action I should take would be greatly appreciated.
GREAT! You are one of the fortunate ones as you are able to convert CO2 into CH4! Your carbon butt-print is still producing that life-giving element carbon.
BTW, might be best to walk outside, preferably into the wind, when you feel a dominant urge to “express” yourself.
Haven’t we been at the “tipping point” and “running out of time” for at least 10 years now?
For warmists, it’s more like 35 years.
____________________________________________
For warmists, it started just about when the “acid rain” scare they were talking up stopped scaring anyone anymore.
Since they couldn’t complain about the So2, they were left with trying to demonize Co2. It was always about coal.
I am trying to do my part as well to feed the plants and contribute to life, so I am going for a size 12D carbon footprint. Bonfires, BBQ, Carbonated beverages, warming up my car in the drive for a good hour this winter...
So do your part with carbon!!!
From CO2 to Diamonds,
And photosynthesis products all’s,
Eat the plants and crunch the shells,
Carbon is the staff of life and helps us hit golf balls.
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