True, they are much more potent. If methane emissions keep increasing, partly as a result of the current warming, then methane will be a bigger problem. As for water vapor, it is not increasing much, and there's no reason to think it is contributing to warming.
But Arrhenius figured out why CO2 is the bad guy over a hundred years ago.
He specifically calculated the effects of CO2, including what would happen in the Arctic if CO2 were doubled, and how low it might have gotten in order to explain the Ice Ages.
"We often hear lamentations that the coal stored up in the earth is
wasted by the present generation without any thought of the future, and
we are terrified by the awful destruction of life and property which has
followed the volcanic eruptions of our days. We may find a kind of
consolation in the consideration that here, as in every other case,
there is good mixed with the evil. By the influence of the increasing
percentage of carbonic acid in the atmosphere, we may hope to enjoy ages
with more equable and better climates, especially as regards the colder
regions of the earth, ages when the earth will bring forth much more
abundant crops than at present, for the benefit of rapidly propagating
mankind."
Arrhenius was a pretty brilliant fellow, and I have based a goodly portion of my career on his work. Thanks for sharing. He was fortunate to live in a time where media hype was virtually unknown.
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It was criticized and the arguments went back and forth with most scientists not persuaded for many good reasons. It was more or less forgotten until the 1950's when scientists measured CO2 much more accurately and discovered that CO2 was indeed increasing, that temperatures were rising, and that quantum physics changed the way that scientists understood absorption. So they went back and investigated more thoroughly. It turned out the CO2 had not risen enough to cause the temperature rise as of that time, but both continued to rise. Later it was indeed enough to cause the continued rise in temperature. It seems that Arrhenius was right, but for the wrong reasons.
There two reasons. First water vapor is too variable, CO2 on the other hand.........Everyone makes it, it is easily measured, therefore you can place a dollar amount on it. The only more effective scapegoat are tobacco products. At this point tobacco is about maxed out tax wise. Taxing CO2 is virgin territory.
Sad to say, but dumbing down has become increasingly symptomatic of all 'Western countries', not just America. It's not just anti-intellectual stuff, but a decline in educational standards and lack of interest in younger people wanting to persue a carreer in engineering or science. Given UK pay rates in those areas I'm not surprised, but there is a general malaise. The day will come when that bights us in the ass. There's a great deal we could learn from what are very derogitorally called third world countries. In no small part I think it's about work ethic - even a quick view of what's on the TV most nights gives a fair indication. So called reality shows and get rich quick/instant fame dross. I can only speak with direct knowledge of the UK, but we are making major mistakes that start at the very earliest of education levels and is then compounded by general societal attitudes.
I could rant for ages, but it's veering a bit far from the original post. I'm voting myself OT, though your post is well worth anybody reading.
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Someday, the remains or the progeny of civilization will look back on this time in history with shock and awe that (1) we did not completely annihilate all humanity through ignorance or bliss, and that (2) we did not manage to destroy the climate while supposedly protecting it.
Actually humans and "dinosaurs" have co-existed throughout the evolution of humans, since there were always birds present, and all birds directly evolved from the dinosaurs. It is as plain as the nose on one's face this is true. We just were not present when the mega-fauna dinosaurs were present.
The earth is not the center of the universe, but God is still watching you, me, and everyone else. That less numbers believe in God must be something quizzical to God, but God will exist whether or not anyone believes in true God. God is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent. Think about that for a minute, and wonder if God could have designed DNA, put the entire universe in motion, and created the heavens and the earth. If you still think not, then you need to study a few English definitions.
God does not cease to exist just because some pseudo-intellectuals decide that there is no God, and nothing to believe in. The Bible states: "the fool says in his heart, 'there is no God'". We will all find out someday for sure. There is no prohibition on wisdom and learning for all people of all faiths. Wisdom and knowledge cry out in the public square proclaiming, "take what is free!"
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Human CO2 emissions could hold off the next ice age
"scientists at Germany's Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research,
details the results of simulations based on paleoclimatic data and
current CO2 levels, showing that human CO2 emissions could contribute a
delay of around 50,000 additional years before the inception of the next
ice age.
The same scientist think that the atmosphere acts like a blanket.
CO2 takes part in the cooling of the atmosphere and if anything more CO2 makes energy transfer easier. But it has no affect how much energy is received on Earth.
I do not know, it never made sense anyway. I suspect that as quality of energy moves to lower energy photons (for example visible or UV light down through infrared to radio waves, the rate at which it can dissipate in a gas might be less, but that is only based on crude estimates of oscillator strengths of electronic transitions versus vibration-rotational transitions in small molecules.
I agree that CO2 having a lot of oscillator strength in the 10.6 micron region (basis of CO2 laser) of the spectrum should really through a lot of energy back into space (as well as back toward Mother Earth.). So yes, I get it.
Now we have all heard the recent reports by a whistleblower at NOAA claiming that a colleague or group of colleagues were responsible for simply making up data that indicated higher ocean temperatures, I can say it is a safe bet to remove any support from HCCC (global warming).
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Why Isn't This Better Known Info?
Re: Why Isn't This Better Known Info?
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