Not all of the CO2 emitted by human industrial activities remains in the atmosphere. Between 25% and 50% of these emissions over the industrial period have been absorbed by the world’s oceans, preventing atmospheric CO2 buildup from being much, much worse. But this atmospheric benefit comes at a considerable price. As ocean waters absorb CO2 … Continue reading
Satellite Record Now Shows Warming Across All Date Ranges I don’t think that anyone disagrees with the fact that we actually are in the middle of a cold period that started about nine years ago. Now that’s not me talking. Those are the scientists who say that. – U.S. Senator James Inhofe, July 23, 2010 … Continue reading
The scientific community lost one of its great voices this week when Stephen Schneider, Professor of Environmental Biology and Global Change at Stanford University, passed away from a sudden heart attack. Dr. Schneider was an early voice, warning of the dangers of escalating carbon emissions to the global environment, and his contributions to science and … Continue reading
The continued impacts and actions revolving around the BP oil spill continued to command the majority of headlines this week with BP becoming cautiously optimistic after finally capping the leak that has spilled tens of millions of gallons of oil over the last 4 1/2 months since its Deepwater Horizon rig exploded in the Gulf … Continue reading
American Physical Society Reaffirms That Human Activities Affect Earth’s Climate. There is a substantial body of peer reviewed scientific research to support the technical aspects of the 2007 APS statement….Greenhouse gas emissions are changing the Earth’s energy balance on a planetary scale in ways that affect the climate over long periods of time (~100 years)….While … Continue reading
Global ocean surface waters have become 30% more acidic since the start of the Industrial Revolution
Proportionally, the Earth’s atmosphere is no thicker than the skin of an apple.
Nitrogen (78%) and oxygen (21%) which comprise over 99% of the dry atmosphere, are not greenhouse gases and do not contribute to the Earth’s greenhouse effect.
With no greenhouse effect to moderate its climate, the average minimum temperature on Mercury, the planet closest to the Sun, is -280 deg Fahrenheit.
Without a greenhouse effect, the average temperature on Earth would be 0 deg Fahrenheit.