RE: A response to Jerry Cohen's reasonable request

["Thomas J Savin " <tjsav@LYCOS.COM>]

A reminder to the group - plants also respire O2 - C02 This reaction (breathing) occurs 24hrs - 7wk.  So the net amount of CO2 taken out of the air is equal to  CO2air minus CO2 exhaled (respired) minus Carbon uptake from soil. the efficientcy varies among plant type.  Does anyone know what the average efficiency of CO2 uptake from area to area (trees, grasslands....etc.



Enjoy!

---

Tom Savin



On Thu, 26 Jul 2001 10:32:51  

 Johansen.Kjell wrote:

>With regard to CFCs and ozone depletion, Ruth Weiner mentioned the McElroy

>et. al. 1979 paper in Science showing the correlation between CFC production

>and ozone depletion.  I would like to add, and I'm sorry I do not have the

>exact reference - but it also appeared in Science- that a study about 2-5

>years ago showed a vertical concentration profile of CFCs, CFC break down

>products due to UV, and ozone through the atmosphere.  The results showed a

>definite increase in CFC breakdown products and corresponding decreased in

>ozone concentration.  This was definite proof that the postulated ozone

>depletion mechanism demonstrated in the lab actually worked in the

>atmosphere.  As far as I can see, this case is closed, the culprit is

>identified, end of story.  

>

>With regard to global climate change, I have followed the arguments since

>the early '70s when it was discussed in my meteorology class at Michigan.

>To assume that humans are puny and have no input into global climate change

>is, in my estimation, a bit off base.  Yes there are natural variations.

>However, the global biogeochemical cycles operate at some rate which may

>vary.  However, when in the period of 100 years you dump back into a fairly

>stable system the carbon that has been sequestered in fossil fuel over

>millions of years, there has got to be some repercussions.  They aren't all

>good.  Sure plants love CO2.  However not all plant like it to the same

>degree.  It depends on the photosynthetic mechanism used.  Ecosystems will

>not adapt to rapid rates of change.  

>

>Back in the 70s someone postulated that increased warming would bring on a

>new ice age because of the increase transfer of water vapor to the polar

>regions.  The latest AGU meeting has had several papers on "snowball" earth,

>with evidence that the earth did, at one or several times in the past,

>completely freeze over. And it did so within a short time.  Wallace Broecker

>at Columbia has published studies of ocean currents.  He believes that these

>currents can be easily affected by  global temperature increases and thereby

>change the distribution of heat around the globe.  There are no easy

>solutions .  As someone once said - for every difficult question there is an

>easy answer which is wrong.

>

>as always, my opinions and not necessarily those of my employer

>

>Kjell Johansen, PhD

>Environmental Specialist

>Point Beach Nuclear Plant

>Two Rivers, WI

>kjell.johansen@wepco.com

>.  

>





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