How can global warming be caused by excessive cabon dioxide when it is less than 1% of our atmosphere?

Question

If our atmosphere is 70% nitrogen, 28% oxygen, and 2% other gases, how can excessive carbon dioxide be causing a runaway global greenhouse gas effect when it makes up such a small part of our atmosphere?

Answer 1

Because of the absorption of solar energy and conversion in heat. The greenhouse gases absorb the infrared part of sunlight and transform it in heat. So a small quantity can heat very much the air. The methane gas of biologic origin has the same effect, they are called greenhouse gas because of the increase of air temperature with sun rays. Remember that one of the greatest sources of energy is the solar heating so a little increase can modify the system.To verify the importance of sun heating, touch a black car or a green leave in a sunny day and you will sense the difference.

Answer 2

Regardless of whether CO2 is the cause, you show an astounding lack of understanding of basic chemistry! Congratulations!

Your question is a bit like asking how a glass of beer spiked with strychnine could possibly have caused the victims death; any fool can see that what was in the glass was more than 99.9% beer!

(PS The theory is [and has been successfully modelled] that the very slight increase in CO2 allows less reflected heat escape, so the heat energy continues to be trapped in the atmosphere, causing a warming effect. Think about it, if you added a single layer of "cling-film" to the outside of your house, it would in fact have a significant effect on the temperature inside over time.)

Answer 3

Scientists have calculated that volcanoes emit between about 130-230 million tonnes (145-255 million tons) of CO2 into the atmosphere every year (Gerlach, 1999, 1992). This estimate includes both subaerial and submarine volcanoes, about in equal amounts. Emissions of CO2 by human activities, including fossil fuel burning, cement production, and gas flaring, amount to about 22 billion tonnes per year (24 billion tons) [ ( Marland, et al., 1998)


when you take a science class, you will realize estimates like that are usually quoted in the theoretical average and normal exceptible level at the time of the experiment rather than what it is currently.
check the date and location, that are associated with those estimates.

and by the wway, CO2 isn't the only greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, there are a slew of others!

Answer 4

It doesn't take much warming to cause problems, and any CO2 will trap some small amount of heat. The more there is, the more heat it traps of course. But you have identified the big point that people who say not to worry are thinking about. They think the CO2 levels can go many times higher without causing any important amount of warming. They may be right. Then again, they may be wrong.

Answer 5

My name is Rafael Lomena. I write from Alicante (Spain). I am independent investigator on the Accelerated Global Heating and want to share with all something that can turn out from interest to fight this phenomenon.
I believe that the main cause of the Accelerated Global Heating is in the great and increasing forest fires that are whipping to the planet in the last years.
My complete report is in: http://inicia.es/de/rlv/clim.htm...
If they do not understand the Spanish they can use the automatic translator that will find in the main page of site:
http://inicia.es/de/rlv
Thanks to all.
(* This message has been translated with a translation software)

Answer 6

The same way 0.2mg of poison from an Australian spider can kill a 120kg man in 5 minutes. It's the potency of the material that makes up effect, not the quantity of it... in this case CO2 is very deadly and a very real poison to our world.

Answer 7

Even though it's a small part a small fluctuation in it can alter the atmosphere. Our atmosphere is held down by gravity and is very light so small changes effect alot.

Answer 8

easy we are using more fossil fuels that create carbon dioxide but were not planting enough trees etc to reverse the process to create oxygen.

small changes are knocking the planet out of balance with everything else causeing chaotic weather and species to die out and migrate out of natural habitats.

Answer 9

Global warming, global shwarming. It's all a big ruse by the people who promote the idea to get federal funds for their pet projects. Just like the preachers who preach hellfire to get a lot of money from suckers.

Answer 10

it is accumulating or so they say. we are still arguing about it . the climate is changing but why is still an open question . except for people with an agenda like get everybody to ride bicycles to work.