Howdy Steven,
It seems that everyone is correct and yet incorrect on the subject of "
greenhouse" gasses. The devil is in the details. The mix differs from
around the globe. Add forest fires and volcanos and every attempt to measure
gets skewed. The oceans play a vital role. One of the unknowns remain the
ever increasing foresting of the USA. Surprises everyone to learn the US is
NOT deforested. A glimpse of any old photo prior to 1875 will show plains
and grass across much of the US. Nowadays, cities are covered in trees and
shrub which were previously keep down by the huge plains fires that would
sweep across parts of an entire state. The effect of ever increasing
foresting of the US has yet to be quantified for use as a tool in studying
the greenhouse effect.
We don't know, we suspect, we surmise,
but cool heads look at facts and cool the " shrill". Do I believe these
greenhouse gasses are warming the planet.. perhaps CO2 is causing some..
but.. there is so much shrill and so much money made off shrill, the facts
are skewed. NASA has some good readings but who can believe anything coming
out of NASA anymore.
A volcano the size of the 1803 Borneo bomb would help put some suspicions to
rest. Of course, it would freeze the yankees and Europe.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Steven Krivit" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, March 01, 2006 6:51 PM
Subject: Re: global warming: spin or not spin?
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?
This is what I wrote in "The Rebirth of Cold Fusion":
The problem of global warming predominantly results from the combustion of
fossil fuels. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
"fossil fuels burned to run cars and trucks, heat homes and businesses,
and power factories are responsible for about 98 percent of U.S. carbon
dioxide emissions, 24 percent of methane emissions, and 18 percent of
nitrous oxide emissions." These are the so-called "greenhouse gasses."
Carbon dioxide is the greatest culprit. It is odorless and invisible; for
the most part, it does its damage without our awareness. Carbon dioxide
and other greenhouse gasses collect in the upper part of the Earth's
atmosphere and remain trapped there. When solar radiation passes through
the Earth's atmosphere, most of this radiation is absorbed by the earth's
surface. However, some of the solar radiation is reflected back to the
atmosphere. Ordinarily, part of this radiation would continue onward to
outer space, and part would be reflected back to earth.
However, as a blanket of greenhouse gasses accumulates in the upper
atmosphere, it absorbs the wavelengths of reflected radiation and converts
it into thermal energy. The gasses remains trapped, upsetting the delicate
energy balance as the Earth makes its yearly journey around the sun, and
contributing to an increase in global temperature worldwide.
s
