My impulse is based on that the atmosphere has a limited capacity to absorb CO2; with or without peak oil, there are already emissions of methane, for example, from melting permafrost, as well as removal of forest cover that stores carbon, so that the atmosphere continues to heat. Plus we continue to burn coal and there’s no shortage of that. No sign of peak coal?
There are mechanisms for planetary self-regulation. I understand that these are in delicate balance and when the limits are reached the result would be a very hot planet. It might take hundreds of thousands of years for planetary events to cool those temperatures, if at all.
Some facts which you might like to consider:
1. The deep ocean has a huge capacity to absorb CO2 which is more soluble in cold water than warm water. The temperature of the ocean is mostly 4 deg C and it is mostly 4 km deep. It already containms 98 percet of the CO2 in the atmosphere/ocean system and has room for plenty more.
2. Methane only lasts 2 years in the atmosphere. It is soon converted to CO2 and H2O by hydrolysis.
3. Forestry is carbon neutral. Old trees are replaced by rapidly-growing new trees.
4. Most of the CO2 removed by phytosynthesis is removed by phytoplankton in the mixed layer of the ocean.
5. RE peak coal. True but it’s a drop in the bucket compared to oil.
6. Yes, there is a mechanism for self regulation. It is called diffusion. The more CO2 there is in the atmosphere, the more rapidly it diffuses into the ocean. The planet is a rough and noisy place and is not in “delicate balance”. If it were the balance would have tipped over millions of years ago. This idea of “Natural Balance” is the biggest furphy of them all.
7. Not “very hot”, just slightly warmer. See http://blackjay.net.au/climate/a-young-persons-guide-to-the-greenhouse-effect/
My impulse is based on that the atmosphere has a limited capacity to absorb CO2; with or without peak oil, there are already emissions of methane, for example, from melting permafrost, as well as removal of forest cover that stores carbon, so that the atmosphere continues to heat. Plus we continue to burn coal and there’s no shortage of that. No sign of peak coal?
There are mechanisms for planetary self-regulation. I understand that these are in delicate balance and when the limits are reached the result would be a very hot planet. It might take hundreds of thousands of years for planetary events to cool those temperatures, if at all.
Some facts which you might like to consider:
1. The deep ocean has a huge capacity to absorb CO2 which is more soluble in cold water than warm water. The temperature of the ocean is mostly 4 deg C and it is mostly 4 km deep. It already containms 98 percet of the CO2 in the atmosphere/ocean system and has room for plenty more.
2. Methane only lasts 2 years in the atmosphere. It is soon converted to CO2 and H2O by hydrolysis.
3. Forestry is carbon neutral. Old trees are replaced by rapidly-growing new trees.
4. Most of the CO2 removed by phytosynthesis is removed by phytoplankton in the mixed layer of the ocean.
5. RE peak coal. True but it’s a drop in the bucket compared to oil.
6. Yes, there is a mechanism for self regulation. It is called diffusion. The more CO2 there is in the atmosphere, the more rapidly it diffuses into the ocean. The planet is a rough and noisy place and is not in “delicate balance”. If it were the balance would have tipped over millions of years ago. This idea of “Natural Balance” is the biggest furphy of them all.
7. Not “very hot”, just slightly warmer. See http://blackjay.net.au/climate/a-young-persons-guide-to-the-greenhouse-effect/