Another milestone passed

[begreen]

The Earth passed another unfortunate milestone May 23 when carbon dioxide (CO2) surpassed 400 parts per million (ppm) at the South Pole for the first time in 4 million years.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2016-06-south-pole-earth-global-milestone.html

 

[woodgeek]

Those darned volcanoes.

 

[begreen]

termite farts

Looks like every observatory on earth is now reporting over 400ppm CO2.
http://mashable.com/2016/06/17/carbon-highest-4-million-years/#abEOAdmI75q3

 

[ihookem]

LOL, but those termites put out more carbon than anything. Now, if we are to blame about the high level of carbon dioxide today , what did it 4 million years ago? ? ? ? ? ? ? And dont say it was Woodgeeks first fire.

 

[begreen]

4-0-0-0-0-0-0 years ago is a very very long time as compared to the CO2 spike that has occurred in the past 200 years.

 

[woodgeek]

LOL, but those termites put out more carbon than anything. Now, if we are to blame about the high level of carbon dioxide today , what did it 4 million years ago? ? ? ? ? ? ? And dont say it was Woodgeeks first fire.

The article is poorly written....there is no evidence that the CO2 level was this high 4M years ago....its just that we only have direct data going back that far....

Our best guess of past CO2 levels, based on various lines of evidence looks like this....



Which has it likely below 400 ppm for something like the last 40 million years.

For reference, the Average Global temperature 1950-1981 was 14°C. The last few years its been 15°C. The goal of the Paris Accord is to limit warming in this century to 16°C.

Over geological time, animals and their habitats can (mostly) creep northward and southward, and animals and plants can adapt. When most of your natural world has been segmented into small separate preserves and parks, those animal go extinct when the climate changes and destroys their habitat, esp in 100 years. I.e. imagine the climate of Yellowstone shifts to be like that of Arizona.

In case Cretaceous temperatures sound appealing to you, careful picking your real estate...the sea level was 300-500 ft higher during that era. WI will prob be aok.

AS for where the CO2 came from back then....you can see that is was the norm back then. I'm not sure we have a good idea why...might have something to do with all the land being in one big continent then--Pangea--reducing marine sediments? Apparently the formation of the Atlantic ocean (from that continent splitting in two) coincided with the long slow slide starting 150M years ago in CO2 to more modern levels...but that might be a coincidence.

 

[Jags]

Look at the bright side....400 pound puppies would be adorable.

 

[begreen]

As long as the cat doesn't get them!