Who invented the lie that one volcanic eruption spews out more CO2 then all human activity combined?

Question

I hear cons repeat this lie often. Where did you cons hear this lie?

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) - The reference gives the amount of released carbon (C), rather than CO2.]. 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)!

- US Geological Survey
http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/Hazards/What/VolGas/volgas.html

aimhigh24,

What a pathetic response. I just finished quoting the U.S. Geological Survey. According to them, human activity produces over 150 times more CO2 then all volcanic activity combined.

Who are you citing? Rush Limbaugh, amateur geologist?

Answer 1

"There are lies, damned lies, and statistics." Harry S. Truman, 1948.
I don't believe anything you have written above.

Answer 2

I heard the same things from my college Geology teachers about 7 years before that study was released except it was sulfur dioxide and not CO2. As more people drive cars and build factories, the numbers change in favor of humans causing the problem, but there is more to the story. Volcanos have been around for about 4.5 billions of years yet humans have only been around for a couple of million years. Over time, volcanos would have released much more greenhouse gasses than humans. Either somebody was not updating their information (using an out of date study) or there are two different studies where the information is mixed.

Answer 3

Btw that data set you are linking to is about 10 years old.

Not all volcanos put out the same gases. earlier studies had been taken from a volcano that had put out lots of co2 and assumptions were made that other volcanos would be the same.

Then you had those in which they showed the 150:1 anthropogenic vs volcanic co2 emission ratio.
(which is the 10 year old or more data I was talking about)

More recent analysis of the same data sets shows its more like 85:1. Interesting how these 'scientists' can be off in their deductions by such large amounts, and still put out their 'studies' and claim they know the truth.

Human related ( anthropogenic ) co2 emission is more than volcanos at least at present time certainly. Of course volcanos are not nearly the only source of natural co2 emission.

My point is that the data is far far far from complete and needs to be looked at in a more thorough and comprehensive manner.

Answer 4

Volcanoes were a chief contributor of CO2, but i don't know anyone that is saying that now. Volcanoes can be source of COOLING: Mount Pinatubo ejected roughly 10 billion metric tons of magma, and 20 million tons of SO2, bringing vast quantities of minerals and metals to the surface environment. It injected large amounts of aerosols into the stratosphere—more than any eruption since that of Krakatoa in 1883. Over the following months, the aerosols formed a global layer of sulfuric acid haze. Global temperatures dropped by about 0.5 °C (0.9 °F), and ozone destruction increased substantially. We need to figure out how to blow these things up!

Answer 5

It isn't a lie. Have you ever heard of a super volcano? They think that Yellowstone national park may be one. Have you ever been AROUND a volcano? Not all of them are nice and sweet like Hawaii's volcano's are.

Pyroclastic flows are violent and dangerous to anyone in the vicinity of them. Mt. Saint Helen's is a prime example of this type of explosion. The ash was detected EVERYWHERE around the earth.

Answer 6

I herd that the big volcanoes ,when they go off spew out the super-large amount,it is true,if your are talking about the big volcano's.so what,its not a lie,just a bit of clever reporting on the facts.we all know the truth on co-2.cheers

Answer 7

I don't know about this, but did you know that just breathing contributes to the total amount of Co2? Perhaps liberals can tax that.

BTW if you look at the facts you will see that man made global warming is more hype than science.

Answer 8

Al Gore said it.
He wants the EPA to ban all Volcanic Eruptions, and raise taxes on the working people to do it.

Answer 9

We need CO2 to grow!

Answer 10

What does this have to do with the price of tea in China?