Dear editor,
In response to Jane Davies comments regarding CO2 emissions, and her take on “science” and “history,” I need to speak up to defend reality based reasoning.
Jane’s comments about CO2 levels in the past claim that Earth’s CO2 levels were 10 to 15 times higher than they are today, with no problems at all for the natural world. Let’s do the math on that one. We just passed 400 PPM measurable CO2, a known greenhouse gas. At what time was Earth’s atmosphere at 5,000 PPM CO2 (to average it)?
The Earth’s present average temperature is about 16.5 Celsius, or 61.5 Fahrenheit (as reported recently by National Geographic Society). 16.5 X 12.5 (average of her claims) is 206 C, or 402.8 F. So when was the Earth growing wonderfully lush vegetation at 402.8 F?
Her claims do not support reality, and are very misleading when reviewed with “critical thinking” taking over for gullibility. Show me one terrestrial plant or tree that grows at 402.8 F. The reality, as published to the world by the NGS, is that we are facing a possible “snowball event,” with rapidly warming N latitudes already melting permafrost, releasing sequestered methane gas, and about 25 times as effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere. They are very concerned about melting terrestrial methane being released in massive and unstoppable volumes, on top of melting subsurface “methane ice” in the Arctic ocean.
The situation for us could rapidly (within decades) spike the measurable GHG levels with methane involved, to the equivalent of about 1,000 PPM CO2. At those levels this could ramp up our average world temperature to about 50-55C (52.5 C), or 126.5 F. How would you like to spend an average day dealing with 126.5 F temperatures? We need to think about ongoing industrial-scale pollution consequences, and take real world responsibility for our own actions, before it is too late. Alternate ways of doing things are very possible for people, and profitable too, if and when economies start down that path to transitioning away from polluting energy sources.
The Earth and its Nature has “checks and balances” that will put us in “check” if we keep going “unwittingly,” with the status quo. Being intelligent humans is one thing, being wise humans is another. Wise, mature, and honest people can turn a situation around to their benefit, if they apply themselves.
Stewart McIntosh
Courtenay
