I'm trying to prove someone wrong that we only produce a "tiny amount" and I'm having trouble finding a source.
2007-10-09 16:14:31 · 4 answers · asked by RBM11 3 in Environment ➔ Global Warming
Actually, I've found a source. So, nevermind.
2007-10-09 16:24:51 · update #1
This is worth 10 points
The Politically Incorrect Guide to Global Warming & Environmentalism
Christopher C Horner
The irony is that CO2 isn't what's causing the warming, (Gasp!...You mean Al Gore is WRONG?????)
Great resource, well written, good read.
2007-10-09 20:29:13 · answer #1 · answered by spam_free_he_he 7 · 0⤊ 3⤋
They're right about the amount. It's about 3-4%. (Volcanoes are way smaller, about 0.1%) But it's by far the most the important source as far as global warming is concerned.
There are a great many natural sources and sinks for carbon dioxide. But the present global warming is (mostly) the result of man made CO2 from burning fossil fuels.
There is a natural "carbon cycle" that recycles CO2. But it's a delicate balance and we're messing it up.
Look at this graph.
http://scrippsco2.ucsd.edu/graphics_gallery/mauna_loa_record/mlo_record.html
The little squiggles are nature doing its' thing. CO2 falls a bit during summer when plants are active, and rises during the winter. The huge increase is us, burning fossil fuels. The scientists can actually show that the increased CO2 in the air comes from burning fossil fuels by using "isotopic ratios" to identify that CO2. The natural carbon cycle buried carbon in fossil fuels over a very long time, little bit by little bit. We dig them up and burn them, real fast. That's a problem.
More detail here:
http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/climate-change/dn11638
Man is upsetting the balance of nature. We need to fix that.
2007-10-10 00:37:43 · answer #2 · answered by Bob 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Humans ARE a natural source.
But I suppose you mean our cars and factories and so on. I have read somewhere than our releases are only about 1% as large as natural releases from volcanoes and so on. But that is still no excuse to continue our releases since the natural process than remove CO2 have not gone up by 1% to compensate for our releases, so our 1% contribution is piling up in the air instead of being recycled.
2007-10-09 23:21:04 · answer #3 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
humans - 30 billion tonnes/ yr
natural - about 970 billion tonnes/yr
human sinks - 0
natural sinks - about -980 billion tonnes/yr
yearly buildup - about 20 billion tonnes
2007-10-10 06:15:43 · answer #4 · answered by PD 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋