Honest Question About Anthropomorphic Global Warming

[seer]

Look at graph (c) and (d) on that larger picture. 1850 is approximately the end of the Industrial Revolution. Call that 'normal' emissions/concentrations. Compare that to the increase in both emissions and concentrations. That's pretty much all us.

Well what percentage of all CO2 do we put in?

[Leonhard]

I have no idea what these mean - I'm asking what percentage of all CO2 comes from man? 10% 20%?

Nature has a carbon cycle, with things dying releasing CO2 and plant matter growing, absorbing CO2. During a year the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere fluctuates with the seasons, however on average the total amount is the same, and there's no net emmission by nature, sans the odd volcano which is minor. All in all this is in balance, and has been for centures.

We are adding carbon into the atmosphere, adding more of a load into the CO2 cycle, and thereby increasing the total amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.

[Leonhard]

Well what percentage of all CO2 do we put in?

There's no net emission from nature. So we contribute the majority of it.

[seer]

Nature has a carbon cycle, with things dying releasing CO2 and plant matter growing, absorbing CO2. During a year the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere fluctuates with the seasons, however on average the total amount is the same, and there's no net emmission by nature, sans the odd volcano which is minor. All in all this is in balance, and has been for centures.

We are adding carbon into the atmosphere, adding more of a load into the CO2 cycle, and thereby increasing the total amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.

Sheesh - can't I get a straight answer? What percentage is man putting in as compared to nature?

[TheLurch]

Sheesh - can't I get a straight answer? What percentage is man putting in as compared to nature?

There's a good description of various fluxes and their values here:
https://www.e-education.psu.edu/eart...ent/l3_p4.html

I don't have time to calculate an exact percentage, but it's pretty small in terms of the total flux. But, as Leonhard just said, there wouldn't be net positive emissions if we were't contributing.

[Leonhard]

Sheesh - can't I get a straight answer? What percentage is man putting in as compared to nature?

We're close to 100% of the increase.

[Carrikature]

Well what percentage of all CO2 do we put in?

This picture might help:

BioComponents_Carbon.jpg

[Leonhard]

Or to put it another way Seer, yes its true that natural emmission can exceed mankinds emissions by an order of magnitude, but the problem is those emissions are reabsorbed again in a cycle. Roughly 280Gigatons worth of CO2 every year. You can see the CO2 concentration fluctuating up and down over a year. However to this cycle we add 9Gigaton, year after year... we don't reabsorb it, we don't sequester it, we add it from carbon long stored down in the ground, filling up the carbon cycle. This is the driving force of the CO2 increase.

[seer]

We're close to 100% of the increase.

I'm not talking about increase! What is the total CO2 that man puts in as compared to to nature? What is our percentage? What is wrong with you guys - you know exactly what I'm asking but keep dodging...

[Leonhard]

I'm not talking about increase! What is the total CO2 that man puts in as compared to to nature? What is our percentage? What is wrong with you guys - you know exactly what I'm asking but keep dodging...

Nature puts out somewhere between -280Gigatons and 280Gigatons per year. Adding nothing to the atmosphere.

Mankind puts out 9Gigatons per year consistently. Adding a 3% increase to the CO2 in the atmosphere yearly.

So we're 3% of the CO2 emissions, but we're 100% of the increase.

[seer]

This picture might help:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]15588[/ATTACH]

So if I got this right about 2-3%?

[Carrikature]

So if I got this right about 2-3%?

Something like that.

[seer]

Nature puts out somewhere between -280Gigatons and 280Gigatons per year. Net result 0.

Mankind puts out 9Gigatons per year consistently.

So we're 3% of the CO2 emissions, but we're 100% of the increase.

So why is our 3% not being reabsorbed or lost into space like the 97% of natural CO2?

[Leonhard]

Seer, do you see those sharp fluctuations up and down? Those are caused by natural emissions. Do you see the general trend upwards? That part is caused by human emissions.

[seer]

Nature puts out somewhere between -280Gigatons and 280Gigatons per year. Adding nothing to the atmosphere.

Mankind puts out 9Gigatons per year consistently. Adding a 3% increase to the CO2 in the atmosphere yearly.

So we're 3% of the CO2 emissions, but we're 100% of the increase.

But natural CO2 was much higher in that past - correct - when most of the earth was pretty much tropical?