Thread: Climate change
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Old 22-06-2009, 06:00 PM
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Peter Ward
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ngcles View Post

the total CO2emissions (man-made & natural), the human component accounts for 2.91% according to the US Department of Energy or 3.67% according to the IPCC’s AR4 -- the IPCC's own report. That means that of CO2's contribution to greenhouse warming 96% is down to natural emissions. Is this right?

Best,

Les D
Les, I really haven't the motivation to look at all the points you rasied,
but on this one, the context is wrong.

It is true natural carbon dioxide sources are indeed vast...but so are the natural sinks, and they have been in equilibrium for the last 650,000 years ( where CO2 has sat around 270ppm)

From 1780 the CO2 rise has been well measured, remarkably linear and almost certainly human in origin due:
-CO2 from fossil fuels contains almost no C14,
-a 1-2 year concentration lag from Northern to Southern hemispheres,
-the close parallel in mass of fossil fuels burnt to the increase in the atmosphere
-despite a heck of a lot of effort, no known "new" natural source.

Hope that clears it up for you...
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