Toxins may have doomed ancient forests

Discovery ^ | July 14, 2009 | Michael Reilly

[decimon]

The same noxious compounds released from burning coal and crude oil may have devastated forests and the early dinosaurs that lived in them 200 million years ago.

Scientists have known for decades of a massive dying between the Triassic and Jurassic eras. Life around the world was pummeled by runaway global warming, and scientists speculate that huge volcanic eruptions are responsible, belching vast amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere.

But a new study suggests polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and sulphur dioxide (SO2), two highly toxic pollutants common in fossil fuels, were released in huge quantities and played a role in snuffing out the lush forests of the northern hemisphere along with many species of early dinosaurs.

[GraceG]

SO2 and PAH’s are being produced is MASS quantities by China while we have regulated and pretty much solved the Acid rain problem in our country of the last 30 years.

But they still bitch and complain about the US when China is literally poisoning their own people.

[Paladin2]

"...Burning coal produces sulphur dioxide..."

Because there is sulphur and sulfur compounds in the fuel that get oxidized to SO2.