We Just Breached the 410 PPM Threshold for CO2
scientificamerican.com
We Just Breached the 410 PPM Threshold for CO2
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Re: We Just Breached the 410 PPM Threshold for CO2
#2It would be of value to overlay actual global temperatures over the graphs given in this document such as these..
https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Five_Myr_Climate_C...
Re: We Just Breached the 410 PPM Threshold for CO2
#3How do we measure the average concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere, given all the disparity and local extremums?
Re: We Just Breached the 410 PPM Threshold for CO2
#4I don't know much about climate science, but won't plants multiply and grow faster until we eventually hit a new equilibrium CO2 level?
I guess the only danger is reaching thermal runaway before that happens? Then again, earth CO2 levels have been far higher in the past without signs that it killed off much life on Earth. Is rising CO2 that dangerous?
Don't humans already have effective ways to reduce surface heating by injecting dust or chemicals into the upper atmosphere? We've seen that throwing a bunch of dust up there reflects more heat and it sounds like something certainly within our ability to do.
I'm not a climate change denier, I'm just skeptical that the rising CO2 level is as dangerous as it's made out to be.
Re: We Just Breached the 410 PPM Threshold for CO2
#5How do we measure the average concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere, given all the disparity and local extremums?
Satellite I believe. CO2 absorbs certain bands in the infrared range. You can probably use optical spectrometry to measure relative concentration.
Re: We Just Breached the 410 PPM Threshold for CO2
#6I don't know much about climate science, but won't plants multiply and grow faster until we eventually hit a new equilibrium CO2 level? I guess the only danger is reaching thermal runaway before that happens? Then again, earth CO2 levels have been far higher in the past without signs that it killed off much life on Earth. Is rising CO2 that dangerous? Don't humans already have effective ways to reduce surface heating…
Life on Earth will be fine. The problem is the survival of our own species. It heavily relied in ~15,000 years of stable climate to flourish, and we're cutting that stability short.
Re: We Just Breached the 410 PPM Threshold for CO2
#7in plain english (from article):
"Right now we’re on track to create a climate unseen in 50 million years by mid-century."
Re: We Just Breached the 410 PPM Threshold for CO2
#8How do we measure the average concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere, given all the disparity and local extremums?
This article cites a measurement from Mauna Loa Observatory.
Re: We Just Breached the 410 PPM Threshold for CO2
#9I don't know much about climate science, but won't plants multiply and grow faster until we eventually hit a new equilibrium CO2 level? I guess the only danger is reaching thermal runaway before that happens? Then again, earth CO2 levels have been far higher in the past without signs that it killed off much life on Earth. Is rising CO2 that dangerous? Don't humans already have effective ways to reduce surface heating…
Increasing CO2 does not necessarily result in more plants. The feedback cycles are complex and there are other limiting factors.
Imagine, for example, if the oxygen concentration was increasing instead. Would you expect humans to multiply faster and reach a new equilibrium because of it?
Concentrations have indeed been much higher in the deep past. The concern isn't destroying all life, it's damaging or destroying civilization.
There are theoretical techniques for blocking solar heat. It remains to be seen how effective or practical they would be in the real world. There is a lot of potential for unintended consequences.
Re: We Just Breached the 410 PPM Threshold for CO2
#10I don't know much about climate science, but won't plants multiply and grow faster until we eventually hit a new equilibrium CO2 level? I guess the only danger is reaching thermal runaway before that happens? Then again, earth CO2 levels have been far higher in the past without signs that it killed off much life on Earth. Is rising CO2 that dangerous? Don't humans already have effective ways to reduce surface heating…
Not all plants are on land. Algae blooms are becoming a huge problem for a few reasons and increasing CO_2 is one of them.