Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy,alt.activism,talk.politics.misc
Subject: Re: Rely on science not on purposeful environmental hysteria
From: bpharmon@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu
Date: 26 Aug 92 16:06:51 -0500
Organization: Miami University Academic Computer Service"

In article <mqa4PB1w164w@cellar.org>, techie@cellar.org (William A Bacon) writes:
> part 3 of 4 parts Carbon dioxide Emissions
>    Environmentalists Claim: Rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere 
> arecreating a "greenhouse effect" which is causing global warnming. 
> Thiscondition results from man's increased use of fossil fuels(coal,gas,and 
> oil), a use which must be curtailed.
>    Scientists respond: Yes, there is more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere we 
> breathe. And yes, itscontributes to what can be termend a "greenhouse 
> effect". But no, it has not caused the earth to warm (see above). More carbon 
> dioxide in the air is not a problem. Rather,it has been shown by a team of 
> Arizona Scientists led by Dr. Sherwood Idsoto be tremondously beneficial. 
> Afte a five year test, these agricultural scientists demonstrated that 
> controlled increases in carbon dioxide have nearly tripled the growth of 
> experimental orange trees, increased their fruit production tenfold, and 
> vastly increased their water use efficiency compared to their counterparts 
> grown side-by-side in ambient air. Even a great deal more carbon dioxide in 
> the air we breathe would have no adverse effect on humans.
> Sources:1) Sherwood B Idso, PhD, Carbon Dioxide and global change, IBR Press 
> Tempe, Arizona 1989
> 2) Access to Energy newsletter, Petr Beckman, PhD Boulder Colorado




	hmm.  a few points:

	1) even if CO2 is not a problem, that does not rule out the NO2, SOx,
NOx, POx, and VOCs that are released from fossil fuel consumption. 
This is responsible for acid rain, smog and ozone in cities, forest damage from
air pollution, etc.etc.
	2) There is a greenhouse effect created by the interaction of gases in
our atmostphere, because w/o it life is not possible: it keeps us warm.  
	3)  CO2 levels, are still quite low from a very extended standpoint (
millions/billions) most plants evolved in an atmosphere with significantly more
CO2 than now.  
	4)  There are more CO2 resevoirs than just the atmosphere.  The oceans,
the biosphere, and the very rocks of the earth serve as CO2 resevoirs.  right
now the CO2 in the earth is being released into the atmosphere at a very high
rate, which in turn affects the other CO2 "sinks".  These do provide something
of a buffering effect, but not a great deal is really known about their
interaction and how it relates to global warming.  
	5) there are four warning signs of global warming:  
		1- rising ocean levels thru heat expansion ( there will be
		  little or no polar ice melting)
		2- increased precipitation worldwide (net)
		3-  cooling of upper atmosphere ( less escaping heat)
		4-  warming of the lower atmosphere ( where we are)
	all but (4) has been observed with a high degree of certainty, since
much of the observed warming could be due to urban warming ( backup satellite
studies are needed)
	6) fossil fuels are not renewable.

	What's my point?  
	It is true that initial descriptions/ideas of global warming are not
necessarily correct, but that does not mean that nothing is happenning and we
can all go back to sleep.
	We are changing the chemical makeup of our atmosphere a great deal, and
that alone should make us be concerned about the consequences and consider less
polluting, less carbon based energy sources.

  

> 
> ------
> techie@cellar.org (William A Bacon)
> The Cellar BBS - (215) 654-9184

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Brian Harmon    	"Sometimes I think: and sometimes I am"   
Miami University			--Paul Valery
Oxford, Ohio 45056  	"I believe that man will not only endure, 
(513) 529-5417			he will prevail."
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