April 25, 2007

Drivers and Indicators

Sometimes, i forget that not everybody treats science as though it is common sense. I had somebody ask me whether carbon dioxide was enough of a problem that it would crowd out the oxygen in the atmosphere and make it hard to breathe. When carbon dioxide levels are 350 parts per million and oxygen is roughly 19%, there is absolutely no way that carbon dioxide could be a driver of climate change. 19% is 190,000 parts per million - the carbon dioxide level is both mathematically and physically insignificant.

However, since the carbon dioxide levels go up along with other levels of more toxic greenhouse gasses, the carbon dioxide level is a reasonable indicator of atmospheric health. This is a response that correllates with known science - although i have my doubts on how much known science actually explains the way things are. The science approach is valid and useful in the context of understanding how nature works. Or doesn't work, as the case may
bee.

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