Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

To: palmer
Your statement that CO2 would be rising "much" less without human beings is in reality is a hypothesis, not a conclusion.

It could be relatively easily tested by measuring the ratio of C14O2 to C12O2 in the atmosphere, vs. the same ratio in, say, wood of an exactly known age from, say, the 18th century. By reversing the known decay rate of C14, the ratio in the pre-industrial 18th century could be calculated.

Since all the fossil fuel that has been burned since the 19th century has had 0.000% C14, the current ratio of C14O2 to C12O2, all things being equal, should be "much" lower, if your hypothesis is correct.

36 posted on 12/05/2010 9:40:54 AM PST by Chaguito
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies ]


To: Chaguito
It is true that the C13/C12 ratio has dropped since around 1850 or so and is used as "proof" of manmade CO2, e.g. http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2004/12/how-do-we-know-that-recent-cosub2sub-increases-are-due-to-human-activities-updated/ whereas the C14/C12 ratio is affected by the sun http://brane-space.blogspot.com/2010/12/carbon-isotope-ratios-and-climate.html

My best guess is that some of each ratio change (13/12 and 14/12) is natural and some is from fossil fuel burning. In the case of 14/12, one natural factor is high solar activity in the late 20th century. But most of the rise is fossil fuels. For 13/12, some of the ratio change is natural because some natural sources mimic the fossil fuel ratio (e.g. deep ocean). Dr Spencer also has some thoughts on 13/12 http://wattsupwiththat.com/2008/01/28/spencer-pt2-more-co2-peculiarities-the-c13c12-isotope-ratio/ answered by Englebeen who says that vegetation and fossil fuels show a similar ratio (due to growing plants preference for C12).

37 posted on 12/06/2010 3:58:29 AM PST by palmer (Cooperating with Obama = helping him extend the depression and implement socialism.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 36 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson