How does fracking lower CO2?
For the record, I think it is dumb and dangerous to lower CO2 since it is what plants and trees breath. It is one of the four necessary elements to sustain life. The other 3 being oxygen, water and light.
> For the record, I think it is dumb and dangerous to lower CO2 since it is what plants and trees breath. <
That’s a fair concern. And in the old days the scientific community would vigorously debate the issue. But today any debate is forbidden. Verboten!
Try to hold such a debate, and you’ll be shouted down. You might even be physically threatened.
“How does fracking lower CO2?”
It doesn’t really. But it’s led to a HUGH, almost unlimited amount of natgas that has replaced coal for our electricity generation. Unlike coal it doesn’t add much co2 to the atmosphere.
“For the record, I think it is dumb and dangerous to lower CO2 since it is what plants and trees breath. It is one of the four necessary elements to sustain life. The other 3 being oxygen, water and light.”
Yup.
All plant life on Earth dies below 150ppm. Planet Earth hit an all time low about 10,000 years ago (220ppm).
Thankfully we’ve bounced off that dangerously low level and are now at ~400ppm.
Still well below average.
How? By releasing lots of natural gas for us to use at a reasonable price. Thus we can convert several of our power plants over from dirtier coal to cleaner natural gas and reduce carbon emissions....and without tanking our economy to do so.
But of course since this is not the Gaia Worshiper’s preferred method of power generation (harnessing unicorn farts) ie something done by government diktat and at absurd prices that inflict massive pain on consumers, this just doesn’t satisfy Earth Mother Gaia’s demand for us to make a sacrifice.
You are absolutely correct.
We aren't lowering CO2, not even close. Nor is anyone else. Nor are we going to. Ok, maybe in 2200 when we have unlimited free energy to do so.
Lowering US national emissions is one thing, lowering global atmospheric concentration is quite another. Insofar as the US is only one emitter among several, the most likely effect of the first thing on the second thing, is perhaps a slower rate of CO2 concentration growth.