> It was my understanding that greenhouse gases are only those > which have the > particular characteristic of absorbing "the wavelengths of reflected > radiation." It was told to me that only specific gasses, not > water vapor, > have this characteristic. Comments? Disagreements?
I don't believe that Global Warming is a man-made event. So be it, but let me make a point. It's not that water vapor isn't a green-house gas. It is. But CO2 is more important because there is a net increase in CO2 in the atmosphere due to human action. In other words, CO2 and other green house gases released from burning wood, or from burning methane, are not that important because the CO2 contained in those fuels was extracted from the atmosphere when those fuels were created. The increase in CO2 in the atmosphere is coming from fossil fuels which are being removed from locations deep within the Earth. These sources of carbon, when burned, are creating the net increase in CO2 in the atmosphere which the global warming advocates are concerned about. Craig Haynie (Houston)
