Politicians Exhale and the Earth Heats Up

By Gerald Dudley Ph D

In all of the years of scientific discovery, we have not been able to detect any other planet in the universe with our unique chemical makeup, which sustains all forms of animal and plant life. Today, we are said to be on the verge of ruining that life opportunity by our careless overproduction of one of those natural chemical substances, now called a pollutant.

Like many who read this, I had education classes in high school and college that give me the background to examine this dilemma in a simple and practical manner. In my time, scientists had identified all 92 elements within our planet. Since then, that detected number has grown to slightly over 100, using the scientific advancement of microscopic power. These elements are called atoms and have been given names and symbols. They exist all around us as unique chemicals and are sometimes naturally combined together and called molecules.

These atoms and molecules exist in three different forms within this climate bubble where we all live together. One form is a solid and can be easily seen-like dirt. Another is a fluid form that is also visible-like water. The third form is gaseous and is normally not readily visible. Some of these molecules can even change from one form to another. An example is the one that is currently causing concern. Carbon and oxygen atoms naturally exist in a molecule known as carbon dioxide that is popularly symbolized as CO2. The solid form of CO2 is called “dry ice”. Extreme changes in the temperature levels actually convert it from gas to solid, and back.

This gas is the non-visible element that humans and other vertebrates produce each time they exhale. It is also a very important gas that is necessary for the growth and health of all plants in our universe. We breathe CO2 out and plants absorb it from that atmosphere. In turn, the plants exude oxygen (O2) into that same climate and we beneficially breathe it into our lungs. Shortages, not overages, of each chemical would cause human and plant death. This is the wonderful, natural sharing of gases that makes this planet unique in the universe.

Some plants have grown naturally since the beginning of time. Others have been cultivated as a means to produce food. Those that are grown outdoors are subject to the changes occurring naturally in our weather. Control of plant growth in an enclosed atmosphere is possible and reduces those damaging weather effects. Those enclosed facilities have an atmosphere that can be manipulated to effect plant growth artificially. Most of these enclosures are called greenhouses.

By manipulating the ratio of just these two gaseous chemicals it is possible to produce positive benefits for mankind. By increasing controlled levels of carbon dioxide in a greenhouse, flowering plants produce much better blooms; more quickly and uniformly. Persons with limited lung capacity are aided in their breathing through the artificially increased ratio of oxygen that they inhale. Outside of a greenhouse it is much more difficult to change the ratios of these chemicals in the earth’s atmosphere. This, however, seems to be the argument that is being given by elected politicians to convince the rest of us that ratios are changing and that we are the cause of this recklessness.

For as long as measurements have been sampled, our ground level outdoor atmosphere has contained about 1 portion of CO2 and 3332 portions of other gases. Those other gases, which we aren’t able to see, are: nitrogen (2600 portions), oxygen (666 portions) and argon (31 portions). The remaining 35 portions of atmospheric gases are too numerous to name and each exists in very insignificant portions. The concern among government policymakers is that increasing this ratio beyond 1 portion of CO2 would be unhealthy to humans and would increase the planet’s temperature.

Both of those concerns have been shown to be scientifically inaccurate. Valid studies have shown that humans in confined enclosures can tolerate CO2 levels of 50 portions or more in their atmosphere without health dangers. These studies were conducted with humans breathing normally in submerged submarines, in space capsules and in the Arizona Biosphere. It seems unnecessary to spend taxpayer money on methods that have the intent of reducing manmade levels of carbon dioxide, based on this practical knowledge.

The political intent is to place a price on the excess CO2 that is created and market it to those who don’t go over their agreed limit. This measurement has been named “the carbon footprint” so a tax can be levied, payable to the government. I wonder how a college will pay the taxes for the CO2 produced by screaming, cheering basketball fans in their enclosed arena during a winning season? The results in a packed arena with a double overtime game would easily create 10 portions of this “polluting” gas in the enclosure during the event. The college could go broke.

While many persons claim the earth is warming, it has actually been cooling for the last decade. There seems to be only one strong indicator related to this warming and cooling phenomenon. That causal element is the sun. Can you believe that? The sun rises and earth’s temperature rises. The sun sets and we cool. Unusual daytime warming occurs when that sun is actively tossing solar flares toward our earth. About every eleven years this solar activity slows down or ceases. That is the time the earth cools. It is a natural cycle, not human created. No other warming causes have been scientifically identified.

Some have explained this warming to be the result of carbon dioxide trapping heat that warms the earth. Others include water vapor as a greenhouse gas, which is really the sauna factor of heat trapping, but water vapor doesn’t appear uniformly throughout the planet, so most people don’t consider it a real greenhouse gas. If convinced that it is a greenhouse gas, we might try to tax water also.

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Glen Luckman Earth Heats Up