[Forum] The evidence for Carbon Dioxide is clear and there is good reason to be alarmed.
Its incredulous that after more than 40 years of scientific conferences from the earth summit and Kyoto, that there are still people assuming CO2 is not a greenhouse gas, and that human civilization has not added significant amounts of greenhouse gases to alter the Earth’s system.
The science and physics of atmospheric gases has been known for over 100 years, but it looks like we are in for another 50 years of obfuscation and debate about the science of why Carbon Dioxide is the main greenhouse gas targeted, according to one letter writer who stated that there is no evidence to suggest CO2 is causing any issues.
I would suggest he look into the science so that he might understand the greenhouse effect and some basic laws of physics.
We know that radiation traps energy at very specific wavelengths, and In physics, these wavelengths can be measured using spectroscopy as it happens.
CO2 is the reference point of global warming potential (GWP).
GWP is a measure of how much energy the emission of 1 tonne of gas will absorb over a given point in time in relation to CO2.
So yes there is evidence why the Kyoto Protocol applies to the six greenhouse gases listed in Annex A, which are: Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4), Nitrous Oxide (N20), Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), Perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6).
1990 was the first intergovernmental report that made clear the impacts of rising temperatures, changed rainfall patterns and impact on agriculture and the economy.
These facts were established from the empirical evidence that rising levels of atmospheric CO2, mainly by burning fossil fuels, are adding to the increasing temperature.
This increase in CO2 levels is documented from ice cores from the pre industrial revolution, when the amount of CO2 in the air was approximately 280 parts per million (ppm).
In June, 2013, the NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory in Hawaii, announced that the amount of CO2 in the air had gone up to 400ppm.
In 2020, that is now at 416ppm.
Last time this occurred was in the Pliocene era, 2.6 million years ago, and the sea levels where 15m higher than at the present day and the Arctic temps where 14 degrees higher.
Is it any wonder many people are alarmed that the IPCC reports are no longer predictions, but now a reality?
We have just had another intense summer where we had fires, floods and extreme temperatures, with over 200 temperature records broken.
Nine of the 10 warmest years on record have occurred since 2005 and the World Meteorological Organisation believes Australia is heading towards a 3.5 Degrees Celsius increase.
Many people are not looking forward to a climate system locked into interminable feedback loops within the carbon sinks of oceans, soils and declining forests, and ongoing environmental, social and economic catastrophe.
Letter, Mar 10
Mark Ellis, Woy Woy