Global warming is a fact based upon simple numbers, more people, less trees. Less O2 equals more heat?

Question

Simple numbers include the highest number of people surviving on this earth sets new records annually. Meanwhile these same people demand more products/services that require more land to be cleared of trees and other oxygen producing plants. With less oxygen in the atmosphere, the warmer the atmosphere will become. How can you refute the fact that global warming is happening when you know these other two statistics is accurate?

Answer 1

Well, it's something like that. It's not about too little O2, it's about accumulation of greenhouse gases (including CO2) in the atmosphere and is caused primarily by deforestation and burning fossil fuel. These threaten to upset the delicate balance that has existed here on earth for millions of years and that has permitted animal life to flourish

From a book published by Harvard University Press: "In 2001 a panel representing virtually all the world's governments and climate scientists announced that they had reached a consensus: the world was warming at a rate without precedent during at least the last ten millennia, and that warming was caused by the buildup of greenhouse gases from human activity." (http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog/WEADIS.html )

NASA says, "the general consensus among scientists is that global warming is real and its overall effects are detrimental" (http://eospso.gsfc.nasa.gov/ftp_docs/Global_Warming.pdf , page 6 )

In fact, it is so detremental that the Attorney General of California has filed suit against the 6 auto manufacturers and 5 utilities here in CA. (http://ag.ca.gov/newsalerts/cms06/06-082_0a.pdf?PHPSESSID=bcafe4e63eecea93153f25e6fe5bc9ba , http://ag.ca.gov/newsalerts/release.php?id=709&year=2004&month=7&PHPSESSID=5fa0700eb86a845983a94e26ab86a46e ) for ignoring the IPCC statements, stating in the lawsuit, "Defendants knew or should have known, and know or should know, that their emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases contribute to global warming and to the resulting injuries and threatened injuries to California, its citizens and residents, environment, and economy."

There really is very little controversy in the scientific community on this issue. There's a small handful of vocal people, many of whom have strong ties to the oil industry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Global_warming_skeptics ) who are keeping the debate alive.

Here's a documentary showing "how fossil fuel corporations have kept the global warming debate alive long after most scientists believed that global warming was real and had potentially catastrophic consequences”. (The Denial Machine: http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/denialmachine/index.html )

About the bogus volcano issue, "Human activities release more than 150 times the amount of CO2 emitted by volcanoes--the equivalent of nearly 17,000 additional volcanoes like Kilauea (Kilauea emits about 13.2 million tonnes/year)!” http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/Hazards/What/VolGas/volgas.html

Regretfully, half the population is below average IQ, a huge proportion of the people who attempt to answer questions here have not even completed high school and most do so without a single reference to support thier assertions. Added to the clamor of the uneduated, uninformed and not too bright is the deliberate confusion and obfuscation provided by the libertarian and oil company representatives. A good example of this are the bogus assertions below by "pusherhombre". Five minutes of internet reading will inform you that the global warming is only an average over the entire globe and the story behind that is more one of global weather EXTREMES! But all that aside, I live on the west coast and I wonder which winter he's talking about? This winter has been the balmiest that i can remember. I'd like to see the reference for the rejoicing environmentalists - I simply don't believe that one. And if a citrus MARKET was destroyeed, that simply means there's no one that wants to buy or can afford oranges, etc. And excuse me, if I f*cking wanted to live in Texas, I would. Why don't we put the entire American population in Siberia; that would be fun too. Give me a break, puhleaze!

Now "capnemo" is touting “A Skeptic’s Guide to Debunking Global Warming Alarmism” compiled by United States Senator James Inhofe, as a reason to ignore the global warming threat. "The contributions Inhofe has received from the energy and natural resource sector since taking office have exceeded one million dollars." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Inhofe ). Yes, there is a solidly entrenched oil company and liberatarian minority opinion; should you believe it?.

EDIT: "CapNemo" is so dishonest. He misquoted the wikipedia entry (moving a quotation mark, so as to give the impression that the Senator's words were wikipedia's words. The whole paragraph reads, "In a July 28, 2003 Senate speech, he "offered compelling evidence that catastrophic global warming is a hoax. That conclusion is supported by the painstaking work of the nation's top climate scientists." He cited as support for this the 1992 Heidelberg Appeal and the Oregon Petition (1999), as well the opinions of numerous individual scientists that he named (although most climate scientists, as represented by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), now believe that climate change is an existing phenomenon)" -- Please note WIKIPEDIA'S conclusion at the end that it is NOT a hoax!

Nope, I don't think I know everything. But I did support myself in college as an undergraduate by grading physics exams and I do have a lot of respect for the scientists that have spent years studying this and very little respect for those who have sold out to oil money. I'm not sure what your motive is, but mine is that I have 2 kids that I'm going to leave behind after I'm gone and I want them to be able to enjoy life.

Yes, "capnemo". As you as you continue to present lies and half truths, I will continue to follow you with the facts. Get used to it, buddy.

But don't feel singled out. Wherever I discover the lack, I'm doing my best to hold people to a standard of intelligence, honesty and substantiation.

Answer 2

I am not one of them, but those that deny that global warming is occurring would point out:

Less oxygen in the atmosphere does not mean a warmer atmosphere. Actually, oxygen is a greenhouse gas itself, and more oxygen = warmer temperatures.

The increases in mean temperatures seen in many regions in the past decade still fall within the range of variation known from those regions in other years. We cannot conclusively say that mean temperatures have definitely increased, and we're not just in the midst of a 'warm spell'.

Natural variations in Earth's climate have occurred throughout Earth's history. It has been much, much warmer than it is now, and it has also been much, much colder. The factors that shape these climatic shifts are still at work today, and any variation in mean temperature could be due to natural climatic shifts, not man-made causes.

Even though we are producing huge amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide through industrial activities, it's still pretty small potatoes compared with what the Earth can produce through vulcanism, evaporation, combustion and other natural processes. They argue that we're still too insignificant to have an effect on a system as large as global climate.

I'm not saying I agree with any of these arguments, I'm just saying that those are the arguments they would use to dispute your assertions.

Answer 3

Let me correct you on a couple of points. Global warming isn't caused by "less oxygen", but "more CO2", which, by the way, is what plants and trees breathe. Plants and trees give off oxygen. If it were not for the fact man is continually clear-cutting forests, increased CO2 in the atmosphere would in fact usher in lush, tropical conditions, as it once existed in the Carboniferous era 300 mya, with INCREASED oxygen levels. However, it's debatable if it's a good idea to return to those conditions because insects, being critically reliant on oxygen levels in the air, can become superabundant and grow to enormous sizes. Hello, Mr. Cockroach, would you like a cup of tea?

Answer 4

Ok Timbo please read the following from the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. It's 58 pages in a pdf format so it'll take a second or two to load.

http://epw.senate.gov/repwhitepapers/6345050%20Hot%20&%20Cold%20Media.pdf

Edit:
I see ftm is following me around again. He just loves to chase me around telling everyone what I'm doing. I don't know why, but he does the same thing every day. His temperature data is from the northern hemisphere. This is GLOBAL warming not northern hemisphere warming and I'm not pooh poohing anything, I'm just showing where you can go to get the some facts in this matter and allowing readers to make up their own minds if it's true or not. Just go to the site I mentioned and it will answer all the global warming questions you have. Yes, even ftm will learn something. He thinks he knows everything already, but I'll bet even he could learn a thing or two.

Here's an excerpt from ftm's wipikpedia site talking about Senator Inhofe: "In a July 28, 2003 Senate speech, he offered compelling evidence that catastrophic global warming is a hoax. That conclusion is supported by the painstaking work of the nation's top climate scientists." So the very site he uses to discredit my source discredits him.

Answer 5

U are simply wrong. It is not just the trees but all plants including those in the oceans. The level of Oxygen is 20.9% and has been for 30 years that I know of. If the oxygen level dropped just below 19.5% u could die . The plants are doing a great job.

Answer 6

Global warming? I hear the East Coast had a warm winter and that's causing environmentalists to rejoice. But if global warming was the cause, why did the West Coast have the second coldest winter on record?

Is not global warming supposed to be GLOBAL????

If this global warming thing is going on. . . then why have most of California's citrus markets been destroyed? This year there was ice in Southern California.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!! Yes, I can feel global warming in the air!!

Did you know we could put the entire American population in Texas and there would be room enough for everybody to have two acres of land?

Answer 7

Actually, the majority of Oxygen in the atmosphere is created by photosyntnetic algae in the ocean (about 70-80%), not trees.

Answer 8

Whats your point Timbo, solutions, we need viable solutions. Even if EVERYONE in the U.S. agrees,and becomes 100% eco-friendly, all the other developing nations CANNOT. If they did, they wouldn't compete in the GLOBAL economy. Therefore, if global warming is man made,or if it's a natural cycle, it's going to happen. Viable global solutions Timbo, not pros/cons.

Answer 9

You forgot to mention "less pirates" :)

correlation does not imply causation:

- Number of murders in England was growing with church membership (both increase as population grows).

- Cities with largest police presence have highest crime rates (police does not cause crime, it's crime that forces increase in police)

Also, it is not lack of oxygen that is supposed to causes warming, it is increased level of CO2 and other greenhouse gases.