Is global warming really real? CO2 question...?

Question

If Co2 traps the sun's rays, causing the planet to warm up, wouldn't it also block the sun's rays, possibly causing the planet to cool?

Even thou I like the answers people like "Jester" is offering; because, I believe the same thing, the question really has to do with the CO2 aspect.

The CO2 part of the question is hard to debate, but my studies have shown that 1 volcano gives off more CO2 than all the factories, cars, and cow farts put together.

The global warming topic is twisted and dark. People make millions by coming up with reasons on how the US and the world is causing the earth to die and we need to stop it (example: "carbon footprint"). And if you don't believe in global warming you hate nature and don't care about the enviroment.

I want to cut our oil in take, clean up trash, and chemicals. I want to live on a clean planet but I'm not a believer of
global warming.

Have you seen the nuts out there who want to stop "global warming" by sending up trash to surround the earth to block the sun's rays.

People are too quick to believe anything, usally because they have a good heart.

Answer 1

Good question. Since I studied Environmental Science & Ecology and took many courses about global warming, I have the answer for you!

The molecules of CO2 and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere absorbs only the Longwave radiation which Earth emits back. The molecules passes the Shortwave radiation which the Sun emits to Earth.

for more information you can watch this great movie clip I found to explain the process. Hope that helps!

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Laboratory/PlanetEarthScience/GlobalWarming/GW_Movie3.html

Answer 2

If you've ever had a cloud come between you and the sun on a hot, dry summer day, you've noticed the cooling effect from the cloud's reflection of a broad spectrum of the sun's light, including infrared. Water vapor that has not coalesced into a cloud will pass visible light and shorter wavelengths, but reflects infrared. The highest concentration of greenhouse gas in our atmosphere is water vapor, at 10,000 to 40,000 ppmv (1% to 4%) The concentration of CO2 in our atmosphere is around 383 ppmv, or 0.04%. Methane(CH4) is next, at 1.745 ppmv, or 0.0002%. If you check the graph provided on the Wikipedia article on the Solar constant, you can see where H20 and CO2 attenuate (reflect) incoming radiation from the sun. Outgoing radiation from the Earth will be reflected at the same frequencies (wavelengths).

Answer 3

The atmosphere is generally transparent to most of the sun's rays, including visible light. Some compounds, such as CO2, absorb infrared and other non-visible light, so they heat up the atmosphere without darkening the sky. CO2 isn't even very efficient at this; water vapor and methane are much better. Clouds (water droplets) are about the only things in the atmosphere that actually reflect sunlight.

Answer 4

CO2 doesn't block visible light. The light hits the ground and is converted to heat. The heat is then trapped because CO2 blocks the heat or infrared rays from escaping to space.

Answer 5

Global warming and cooling has been going on a lot longer than humans have been around

Answer 6

They call it the greenhouse effect because just like a greenhouse, co2 lets light in but retains heat. If you look at a greenhouse, it is all glass. This allows the visible light in and the uv light, but slows the loss of heat (infrared energy). So the light coming in heats things up but the resulting heat is kept in by the closed windows. Co2 does the same. It is transparent to visible light, yet slows the loss of heat.

Answer 7

My geography proffesor gave a very educated and well documented argument... showing the earth goes through natural warming and cooling trends... he showed we are currently in a warming trend about to turn. So if you ask me Global warming is a bunch of BS! plus i like the summer better than winter anyway!

Answer 8

...let see if I can help you a bit with this... Our planet has been around for about 4.5 "billion" years... (that's a-lot of "been around"...umm?). During this 4.5 billion the planet has undergone several "polar" inversions and changes, climatological changes and extra-terrestrial catastrophes (asteroid impacts etc.)... and we'z still here "spinn'n" !!!! What is happening today is just another "cycle" of the planet.
Relax...you can't change a freaking thing... when this world wants to get rid of "us" it will "flick us off" like a dog flicking a flea off his back... and it will still keep on spinn'n... have a cup of coffee... get a Krispy Kream... relax... burn a tree, set a tire on fire... let all the A/C out of your freezer into the atmosphere... We don't have the "say" on this ... it's just going to happen....AGAIN...

Answer 9

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/1206_041206_global_warming.html

Answer 10

as real as it gets



MANS EFFECTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT

(this is limited to effects of people in the country,industrial effects on the environment and the internal combustion engine as well as the over all effects of cities ,is another story)

DEFORESTATION

expanding populations and expanding farming ,that has to keep pace with the expanding populations are very strong forces that encroach upon the rainforest's
clearing them for farming and settlement areas .

Rainforest's always are in third world countries and always in third world countries corruption and the need for money s highest

the jungle gets smaller by the day
more and more farmers move in .and burn the trees
it is an impossible situation
as long as there is poverty in these regions the destruction will continue

ON THE GROUND
go to the countries on the equator ,check what has happened in history
and listen to what is going on in the many disaster areas on this planet today,(and there are more than ever each year )
: i have seen lands that have been turned from jungle into desserts by people in a matter of a couple of years ,because of the slash and burn method used by settlers and expanding agriculture,and i have seen rivers dry up because of deforrestation in many places in Africa and Mexico ,
there are natural cycles in the planets life
but a lot is influenced by mans existance ,and this is increasing with overpopulation,putting strains on Natural resources and increasing contaminations as well as destructions of essential componants the ensure living conditions for all life forms

in North Africa,India,Mexico ,millions of people are effected by land loss and desertification,and flash floods because of deforestation

in recent times thousands of people have died because of exessive heat,usually old people.in India ,Mexico and France,
deforestation causing desertification,the desert conditions causing very cold nights and scorching hot days

in china, thousands of what used to be farmers are running for their lives from the dust storms that have burried their towns and turned their lands into dessert,the globe where they were got to hot for them .
and instead of producing food they are now needing it from some where else,and they will drastically effect the world food prices when they start buying water in the form of grains ,at any cost destabalising governments, in some countries ,could be the result

,the Sahara is growing by 7 kilometers a year
and all of the desserts we know are a results of mans actions ,and they are increasing ,not getting less ,in the dinosaurs days ,there were no desserts.

collectively this planet is drying up because of bad farming practices like,over grazing and fertilizers,

as far as the food production is concerned, Global warming or some of its effects are serious,rising seas result in landloss

each degree rise in temperature means 10%crop loss

more landloss because of desertification every year,we have less areble land to produce food ,for an extra 70 million people ,

and there is less and less water (because of deforestation),to irrigate this production ,
and there are less and less farmers to do it..
who are overpumping deep carbon aquifiers
who are plowing more and more unstable lands because they have lost so many million hectares to desertification ,
because of bad farming practises ,such as using fertilizers and heavy machinary or over grazing

RISING SEAS
The northpole is melting ,and we will know it without ice in our life times.
this does not affect the sea level because it is ice that is already in the water.but the melting ice from Green land and the south pole ,are another matter.

Global warming is in theory reversable,but it will mean global co operation between all countries ,and taking into account human nature and the world politics ,it is unlikely that this will happen,

At least not untill we are all in the middle of planetary disastres and it becomes a battle for the survival of humanity every where.

SOLUTIONS
if you want to help the planet ,plant a tree every week ,if everyone on the planet did we we would be able to reverse the destructive processes

reduce carbon emisions,and they are already working on that by alternative forms of energy and regulations on carbon producing materials,aerosol cans,burning rubbish,industrial chimneys,powerplants etc.

the capture of carbon and the production of water and assist the aquiferous manta.

the world bank pays large subsidies for reforrestation to capture carbon and the best tree for this is the Pawlonia

Waterharvesting projects ,such as millions of small dams.to redirect over ground waterflows from the rains into the ground to supply subteranian water supplies.

the protection of existing forrests.

stop building more highways,urban planning to include vegetation stop building cities encourage people to return to the land to conduct their business from there which now has become possible thanks to the internet.

education to motivate people to auto sufficiency by building more home food gardens.

education on environmental awareness
education on family planning to curb over´populaion

Agricultural education and improvements to follow the principals or sustainability and soil management.

more environmental or land ,design to prevent bush fires,such as--fire breaks

,more dams.regulations and control for public behaviour

alternative effeciant public transport to discourage the use of the internal conbustion engine

recicling wastes,limit water use



Source(s) Lester E Brown is the director and founder of the global institute of Environment in the United states .he has compiled a report based on all the satalite information available from NASA,and all the information that has
come from Universities and American embassies WORLD WIDE ,
his little book--a planet under stress , Plan B has been trans lated into 50 languages and won the best book award in 2003