MAIN SOURCE OF CO2
Compelling Evidence
Composition of the atmosphere
Nitrogen
Oxygen
Argon
Water Vapor
Carbon Dioxide
Neon
Helium
Methane
Krypton
Hydrogen
Nitrous Oxides
Chlorofluorocarbons
Facts
778,885
208,736
9317
~2500
406.2 (1/9)
18.2
5.24
1.83
1.14
0.50
0.325
0.00012
Greenhouse
Does it change?
Gases in red
YES
Fact
The Earth “Breathes” In and Out each Year
May
October
A 2% change between northern hemisphere spring and fall
Physics
Fact
But watch the long-term trend...
Today
Scripps Institute
National Atmospheric Lab
Scripps Institute
National Atmospheric Lab
Fact
100
1.1
.0000000001
~1% are C-13 and 1 in a trillion are C-14
Fact
Changes began ~1800 and are accelerating
280ppm
13
C
360ppm
Today
What does all this say about the source
of the rapidly rising CO content
of
2
Earth’s atmosphere?
FACT
Earth’s atmospheric CO2 content is
increasing at 1% per year and nearly all
of it is a consequence of burning fossil
fuels.
Attribution
Most of the slides were provided by Dr. David J. Helfand.
Narrative adapted (with kind permission of the author) from
his article in the May/June 2017 issue of the Skeptical Inquirer:
"Surviving the Misinformation Age" by Dr. David J. Helfand,
Professor of Astronomy at Columbia University and a CSI
Fellow, as well as past-president of the American Astronomical
Society. His recent book, A Survival Guide to the Misinformation
Age, enumerates the scientific habits of mind needed for the
countering the “alternative facts” and misinformation so
prevalent today..