Thread: Eaarth
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Old 01-10-2011, 02:55 PM   #472 (permalink)
NeilBlanchard
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I'm going to ignore your strawman arguments, and your personal insults.

The insulating effect of our atmosphere is what slows down the heat loss back out into space. The Moon lack any significant atmosphere, so it gets very cold.

It is the carbon dioxide in our atmosphere which is most responsible for insulating the Earth, and slowing down the heat loss to a point where the temperature is livable. By changing the level of carbon dioxide rapidly by a significant amount greater than at any time during human existence or indeed higher than at any time in the past 650,000 years -- can only mean that temperatures will increase to be hotter than at any time during that period of time.

We can look back at even earlier history to see what happened, and when, in relation to the carbon dioxide levels. At the point about 65 million years ago, when the island that became what we call India finished moving out of the southern hemisphere, and ran into the southern part of Asia -- the level of volcanic activity diminished, and the rate of weathering increased.

Carbon dioxide was at about 1,000PPM at the point -- and there was no permanent ice anywhere on Earth, and it was essentially tropical everywhere on Earth -- with alligators etc., living in the place we now call Alaska. Then the level of carbon dioxide began to drop, as the weathering process occurred. When carbon dioxide level reach about 450PPM, then Antarctica started to freeze up. Later, when the levels dropped lower, the Arctic froze up.

So, we know about what level these critical things happen. Those thresholds are what all the concern is about. Again, these things happen because of chemistry and physics, and they will occur whether or not all humans agree with it or not.

When the people who know the most about the climate get very concerned, then we should all be very concerned, too.

Do you think you can second guess Stephen Hawking on his area of expertise? How about a vulcanologist? Or, an oceanographer? Or, a geologist? Would you argue with Craig Venter about DNA?
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