[Terrapreta] Atmospheric CO2 Hits 387ppm

[gordon eliott]

yes, but so what?
there is some 50 x as much CO2 dissolved in the oceans.

 and another thing, i see sean that your posts absorb 21.5% of the total
postings here.
this means that at the present rate of increase you will be consuming 36.9%
of the electrons in the entire known universe within 25 yrs.

isn`t terra preta more interesting?

best wishes
gordon eliott



2008/5/15 Sean K. Barry <sean.barry at juno.com>:

>  Hi Folke,
>
> Cool statistic!  *2.12 Gt *of *Carbon* (2.12E15 grams) is equivalent to 1
> ppm of the atmosphere?
>
> From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air ... the atmosphere is estimated to
> weigh 5.1361E18 kg = 5.1361E21 grams
>
> Dry air (without H2O) in the atmosphere contains ~78% Nitrogen gas-N2, ~21%
> Oxygen gas-O2, ~0.93% Argon, a noble gas-Ar, 0.0387% Carbon dioxide-CO2, and
> trace others.
>
> Nitrogen gas-N2 weighs 14 + 14 = 28 grams/mole,             0.78 * 28
> = 21.864
>  Oxygen gas-O2 weighs 16 + 16 = 28 grams/mole,
> 0.21 * 32       =   6.704
>  Argon gas-Ar weighs 40 grams/mole,                               0.0093
> * 40    =   0.374
>  Carbon dioxide-CO2 weighs 12 + 16 + 16 = 44 grams/mole, 0.000387 * 44 =
> 0.017
>
> Then, the average molar weight of Dry
> Air,                                          = 28.958 grams/mole
>
> So, 5.1361E21 grams / 28.958 grams/mole = ~1.774E20 moles of atmospheric
> molecules
>
> 1 ppm is 1.774E20/1E6 = 1.774E14 moles of atmospheric molecules
>
> All the Carbon atoms in a mole of Carbon dioxide-CO2 weighs 12 grams, and
> 1.774E14 moles * 12 grams/mole = 2.12E15 grams = *2.12 Gt*
> **
> *QED*
> **
> For giggles, one could derive an estimate for the mass of the atmosphere
> from 1 ppm = 2.12 Gt Carbon and atmospheric CO2 concentrations have reached
> 387 ppmv.
>
> Regards,
>
> SKB
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> *From:* folke Günther <folkeg at gmail.com>
> *To:* David Yarrow <dyarrow at nycap.rr.com>
> *Cc:* terrapreta at bioenergylists.org ; Exergigruppen<exergigruppen at exergigruppen-sigtuna.se>
> *Sent:* Tuesday, May 13, 2008 4:47 PM
> *Subject:* Re: [Terrapreta] Atmospheric CO2 Hits 387ppm
>
> *OK. what do you expect? It was 385 in the end of last year. We emit about
> 8 Gt C each year. One ppm is 2.12 Gt C.
> Thus, an increase of 3-4 ppm each year seems just to be expected.
> FG
> *
> 2008/5/13 David Yarrow <dyarrow at nycap.rr.com>:
>
>>  *Atmospheric CO2 Hits 387 Parts Per Million*<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=2Tn1GU7KSUrl4OiZ5CB9bPjPNTy3Cdw%2F>
>> **
>>
>> *Metro (UK), May 13, 2008*
>>
>>
>> http://www.metro.co.uk/news/climatewatch/article.html?in_article_id=147343&in_page_id=59
>>
>> "[Scientists at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii announced that] the
>> amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has reached its highest level in
>> human history... pouring into the sky even faster than it did during the
>> second half of the previous century. There are now 387 parts per million of
>> CO2 in the air, the highest figure for 650,000 years... [and] just a few
>> years from what many scientists regard as the tipping point of 400ppm.
>>
>> This raises renewed concerns over the Earth's diminishing ability to soak
>> up pollution and means targets for cutting emissions need to be revised
>> drastically... Last year, the rise was 2.14ppm, while from 1970 to 2000 the
>> concentration rose by an average of about 1.5ppm each year...
>>
>> Prof Andrew Watson, from the University of East Anglia, said up to 30% of
>> the rise could be [attributed] to the weakening of the Earth's natural
>> carbon sinks -- the oceans and rainforests."
>>
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