Where Is the CO2 Coming From?

originally posted by: Phage

What does this tell us (besides putting water in whiskey is bad)? It tells us that the primary cause for the increase in atmospheric CO2 is the combustion of fossil fuels. Pretty simple, actually.

all that info for something we knew already? Feels like Christmas at nans house, massive gift wrapped box just to find a pair of socks at the bottom

a reply to: Phage

a reply to: mbkennel

Agreed in that fossil fuel combustion is undoubtedly contributing to a rise in atmospheric co2 levels. It's simple chemistry, really. ch4 +2o2=co2+2h2o, etc., etc. As you say, the fact that these hydrocarbons were mined from underground reservoirs would naturally lead one to conclude that some of the by-products of their combustion would end up in the atmosphere. Also, the earth is warming. Miles of bare earth that were once covered by glaciers firmly support this hypothesis.

I have yet to see clear evidence supporting anthropogenic global warming or anthropogenic climate change, however. This statement is not meant to vindicate fossil fuels or anything like that. They are dirty processes that produce plenty of toxic, polluting by-products, no doubt. All the same, I have not yet seen the clear evidence showing causation of agw or acc. There's a wealth of information out there. I could spend a lot of time reading about this subject and perhaps still not get the answer to this question.

My question to the two of you, is what is the clear evidence that shows causation? I know you're both fairly educated people with scientific minds, so please direct me to the right reports or articles. A correlation is not good enough, in my opinion. Correlation does not show causation. I do have an open mind, so if you can show me the info, I'll evaluate it with an open mind. Thanks.

This data demonstrates that because fossil fuels contain virtually no 14C (due to millions of years of radioactive decay), the combustion of those fuels leads to a dilution of the 14C/12C ratio found in the atmosphere. It's like putting water in whiskey. Put water (containing no whiskey) in a glass of whiskey and the ratio of whiskey to water goes down.

well stated.

From 'Volcano World' there are 1151 volcano's considered to be 'active' do these volcano's produce CO2 ? from what I have read, they do, and I'll bet its not by the Gram either.

originally posted by: pikestaff
From 'Volcano World' there are 1151 volcano's considered to be 'active' do these volcano's produce CO2 ? from what I have read, they do, and I'll bet its not by the Gram either.

Are Volcanoes or Humans Harder on the Atmosphere?

According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the world’s volcanoes, both on land and undersea, generate about 200 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually, while our automotive and industrial activities cause some 24 billion tons of CO2 emissions every year worldwide.

They do, but it's at a rate less than 1% of what humans emit on average. Also, our emissions are substantially more than that these days.