Myconstitution.info


Author Topic: Carbon Dioxide in the upper atmosphere  (Read 3423 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Jim Nunziato

Carbon Dioxide in the upper atmosphere
« on: February 28, 2014, 10:09:20 PM »
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is categorized as a "greenhouse" gas in our atmosphere. Some scientists claim that CO2 levels in our upper atmosphere are currently higher than ever before, and it is the leading cause of global warming climate change. They also claim that these elevated levels are the direct result of activities of mankind, which include the burning of fossil fuels, power generation, transportation, deforestation, and the cement manufacturing industry. According to Wikipedia, China has passed the United States as the world's leading producer of CO2

Carbon dioxide is produced by every living, breathing life form on the planet, every time it exhales. Every time we open a beer, a soft drink, or pop a Champaign cork, we are releasing CO2 into the atmosphere. We employ many manufacturing processes which use and/or produce CO2. There are also many natural producers of CO2, directly from Mother Earth herself; Volcanos, forest and wildfires, and natural decomposition of plants and animals.

So, the jury is still out on whether or not man is responsible for elevated levels of CO2 in our upper atmosphere. For every scientist who says yes, there is another who says no. I think there is a large political influence in the argument, and the truth is, there is a lot of money to be made in the reduction of "man-made" CO2 emissions.

So, then, should we ban all manufacture, use and consumption of carbonated beverages? Whoa! You quit burning your fossil fuels, but don't you dare touch my beer and soda! How many cans of beer and soda are opened every day, globally? Doesn't all that CO2 wind up in the atmosphere either directly as fizz, or later as a good belch? Should we ban all CO2 fire extinguishers? Should we ban all manufacturing processes that use either CO2 gas or dry ice? Should we ban all use of CO2? Should we ban breathing, or should it be taxed in the form of "carbon credits?"

While my last paragraph may seem a little absurd, here is the same "problem" viewed from a different angle. It raises another question to which I have never heard a reasonable answer:

According to molecular weight, carbon Dioxide (CO2) is considerably heavier (44.01) than "air" (28.966). This is an irrefutable scientific fact.  So, if CO2 is heavier than air, how does it get up to our upper atmosphere, and what keeps it there?

"I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend."  Thomas Jefferson

If Hillary was the answer, then it must have been a really stupid question!