[Terrapreta] Atmospheric CO2 Hits 387ppm

[Sean K. Barry]

Hi Gordon,

I think your comments are useless to this discussion.

The oceans and the plants have stopped absorbing CO2.  That is what an increase in 4 ppm yr-1 means.  During 1970-2000 the CO2 ppmv in the atmosphere was lower than the output of CO2 by humans (@ 1.5 ppm yr-1 on average).  Then in 2006 it went up 2.14 ppm/  In 2007 it went up 4 ppm.  Humans put out about ~8 Gt of carbon into the atmosphere yearly.  At 2.12 Gt Carbon being equivalent to 1 ppm of the atmospheric content, then 2.12 Gt * 4 = ~8.48Gt.

Simple math should not elude you or others.  The absorption by oceans and terrestrial plants is limited and it is OVER!  50 times as much CO2 in the oceans is NOT a problem in comparison to 387 ppm of CO2 in the atmosphere, going to >400 ppm by 2013.

Your rhetoric cannot dissuade me from presenting a valid mathematical analysis of clear observational data.

Regards,

SKB
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: gordon eliott<mailto:gordoneliott0 at googlemail.com> 
  To: Sean K. Barry<mailto:sean.barry at juno.com> 
  Cc: David Yarrow<mailto:dyarrow at nycap.rr.com> ; folke Günther<mailto:folkeg at gmail.com> ; terrapreta at bioenergylists.org<mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org> ; Exergigruppen<mailto:exergigruppen at exergigruppen-sigtuna.se> 
  Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2008 9:51 AM
  Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Atmospheric CO2 Hits 387ppm


  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<mailto: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<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<mailto:folkeg at gmail.com> 
      To: David Yarrow<mailto:dyarrow at nycap.rr.com> 
      Cc: terrapreta at bioenergylists.org<mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org> ; Exergigruppen<mailto: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<mailto: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<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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