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Posted by tourdemars to Terraforming at March 20, 2004 10:39 PM
Carbon dioxide, the gas largely blamed for global warming, has reached record-high levels in the atmosphere after growing at an accelerated pace in the past year, say scientists monitoring the sky from this 2-mile-high station atop a Hawaiian volcano. Carbon dioxide, mostly from burning of coal, gasoline and other fossil fuels, traps heat that otherwise would radiate into space. A leading climatologist, Ralph Keeling, whose father, Charles D. Keeling, developed methods for measuring carbon dioxide, noted that the rate "does fluctuate up and down a bit," and said it was too early to reach conclusions. But he added: "People are worried about 'feedbacks.' We are moving into a warmer world." He explained that warming itself releases carbon dioxide from the ocean and soil. By raising the gas's level in the atmosphere, that in turn could increase warming, in a "positive feedback," said Keeling, of San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography.TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.marsnews.com/mt/mt-tb.cgi/284
If this were Mars that the article were about scientist would be praising each other for there grand ability to Teraform the Martian atmosphere but this is a bad thing on Earth. They don't have a clue, do we dare trust them with another planet.
Posted by: Harold LaValley at March 21, 2004 06:40 PM
Humans by their very nature are consumers of resources for production of food, shelter, and clothing. Vast tracks of forest are decimate in the tropic's, natural resources of oil, coal, gas, overharvesting of oceans, all for human consumption.
In the process, Carbon dioxide emissions have increased, warming permfrost and polar regions. Warmer ocean water, releases gas hydrates-methane- further increasing the tempatures.
So what does the future potentially hold? Higher populations, increased ecological and environment destruction, extinction of species, the potential shut-down of the Atlantic Oceanic conveyor. Areas of the planet with large scale droughts and dust storms. A Malthusian population growth to 8-9 billion individuals followed by a crash to 1-2 billion by 2125. How much should one enjoy driving a car with a take of gas? How much should one enjoy the Cavier and Alaskan Crab leg's for dinner? How much is spent on a dress-shirt--100% Egyptian Cotton? What chemicals were used to manufacture the motherboards of the HDTV? Scientist--they have knowledge. The consumers who demand--are without--going to the Mall for the latest and greatest statement of home fashions. Yet, we are all consumers of the natural resources of this planet. In the end, it will be the bacteria that ultimately win--the ecological questions.
Posted by: J Weikle at March 22, 2004 08:06 AM