Posted by
Catmman on Saturday, August 16, 2008 8:23:07 PM
Since "global warming/climate change" has fallen somewhat out of chic recently, the Left needs a NEW climatic emergency to scare the crap out of people. Scaring people, demanding the need for "research funding", not to mention needing something else to blame - wait for it...on mankind!
The rise in carbon dioxide emissions is big news. It is prompting action to reverse global warming. But little or no attention is being paid to the long-term fall in oxygen concentrations and its knock-on effects.
Compared to prehistoric times, the level of oxygen in the earth's atmosphere has declined by over a third and in polluted cities the decline may be more than 50%. This change in the makeup of the air we breathe has potentially serious implications for our health. Indeed, it could ultimately threaten the survival of human life on earth, according to Roddy Newman, who is drafting a new book, The Oxygen Crisis.
I LOVE this! Compared to PREHISTORIC TIMES?! WHAT?!!! Compared to prehistoric times current CO2 levels are MINISCULE! Compared to prehistoric times, current global temperatures are MINISCULE! Compared to prehistoric times, the icecaps are GIGANTIC! Sea levels were higher in prehistoric times! A rather convenient turn of phrase from this guy. For anything having to do with current "global warming" alarmism, we are told (in fact prehistoric data is IGNORED) that the only thing that matters is the last few hundreds (maybe few thousands) of years. NOW all of a sudden we must begin to analyse prehistoric data?!!!
So. When it comes to current "global warming/climate change" hysteria, computer models and hypothetical extrapolation of data is all we need. We don't need to use ice or sediment core data. The fossil record won't cut it. Satelite or radiosonde data isn't good enough either. We must rely on modelling and hypotheticals. But where do we get the data for assessing the current "Oxygen Crises"? From the very sources which "global warming" alarmists now discount.
These people really think we are this stupid. And I almost forgot to mention whipping up some alarmism and hysteria, just prior to publishing a book on this very subject. Hmmm.
And without missing a beat, further on in the article we get to the end game: Much of this recent, accelerated change is down to human activity, notably the industrial revolution and the burning of fossil fuels.
So. Mankind is responsible for increasing atmospheric CO2 levels. Which is resposnible for increasing global temperatures. Which is cooking us all with the Earth set on "Slow Broil." No mention of the fact that increased atmospheric CO2 makes the planet MORE hospitable to - wait for it - plant life. More plant life which would - wait for it - increase global oxygen levels.
So. Co2 alarmists are begging and pleading and trying to legislate that we DECREASE atmospheric CO2 emissions. Which would have the - wait for it - net effect of reversing that explained above.
Additionally, we are told that there are several "dead zones" (which is true BTW, though NOT in the fashion explained by the article author) which are also leading to a decrease in atmospheric oxygen. The article author blames these oceanic "dead zone" on pollution (mankind), failing to mention the REAL cause of such dead zones - fewer oceanic tropical storms. You see, tropical storms "stir" the oceans, ciculating and oxygenating the water as the storm travels overhead. This was recently demonstrated in the Gulf of Mexico where one of these "dead zones" was un-deadened during Hurricane Eduard. The shortage of oceanic tropical storms is also ignored by the article author. Why? Because "global warming" is supposed to result in MORE of tropical storms, not LESS. Though there are some alarmists out there who say it could result in either more OR fewer tropical storms. I know, It's almost impossible to keep up with this stuff from week to week...
As is typical of alarmists, the article author uses specious reasoning, faulty logic and ignores other factors which could explain his issue. Again we ask why? Because this is simply another fearmongering attempt to keep people whipped into apocalyptic frenzy. If these types of people can't keep the masses scared, they can't (at some future point) advocate for increased taxes, government investment in whatever, legislation to keep you from X behavior. All meant to take more from you. Meant to increase the governments control over your life. Meant to decrease your liberty and freedoms. I'd be willing to bet that this same guy will be doing these very things within just a few months.
Winter is only a few months away after all. The Warming alarmists will go into hibernation until Spring.
They need something to keep their blood pressure (and yours) up in the meantime.
UPDATE:
AN OFT-HEARD WARNING with regard to our planet’s future is that by cutting back tropical forests we put our supply of oxygen gas at risk. Many good reasons exist for placing deforestation near the top of our list of environmental sins, but fortunately the fate of the Earth’s O2 supply does not hang in the balance. Simply put, our atmosphere is endowed with such an enormous reserve of this gas that even if we were to burn all our fossil fuel reserves, all our trees, and all the organic matter stored in soils, we would use up only a few percent of the available O2. No matter how foolishly we treat our environmental heritage, we simply don’t have the capacity to put more than a small dent in our O2 supply. Furthermore, the Earth’s forests do not play a dominant role in maintaining O2 reserves, because they consume just as much of this gas as they produce. In the tropics, ants, termites, bacteria, and fungi eat nearly the entire photosynthetic O2 product. Only a tiny fraction of the organic matter they produce accumulates in swamps and soils or is carried down the rivers for burial on the sea floor.
As the author of the original article on this crises states, I also will state - I am no scientist, so do the research for yourself. I've said it before and I'll say it again, this is simply a manufactured fearmongering story to keep an uninformed public scared crapless about issues which are easily shown to not be issues at all - but formats for further regulation and advocacy for government intrusion and control of our lives.
Educate yourselves. "Forewarned is forarmed" as they say...