quote:

ORIGINAL: Edwynn
It's the paradigm of 'economic need,' with every misdirection accounting device available that got us to where we are now.

Are you arguing for more of that?

You'd not be alone, if that be the case.

quote:

The global oceans are the largest natural reservoir for this excess carbon dioxide, absorbing approximately one-third of the carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere by human activities each year, and over the next millennium, is expected to absorb approximately 90% of the CO2 emitted to the atmosphere. It is now well established that there is a strong possibility that dissolved CO2 in the ocean surface will double over its pre-industrial value by the middle of this century, with accompanying surface ocean acidity (pH) and carbonate ion (CO32-) decreases that are greater than those experienced during the transition from ice ages to warm ages. The uptake of anthropogenic CO2 by the ocean changes the chemistry of the oceans and can potentially have significant impacts on the biological systems in the upper oceans.

This report was generated by the Bush Administration NOAA.

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ORIGINAL: jlf1961

K, lets ignore climate change.

How about this?

quote:

The global oceans are the largest natural reservoir for this excess carbon dioxide, absorbing approximately one-third of the carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere by human activities each year, and over the next millennium, is expected to absorb approximately 90% of the CO2 emitted to the atmosphere. It is now well established that there is a strong possibility that dissolved CO2 in the ocean surface will double over its pre-industrial value by the middle of this century, with accompanying surface ocean acidity (pH) and carbonate ion (CO32-) decreases that are greater than those experienced during the transition from ice ages to warm ages. The uptake of anthropogenic CO2 by the ocean changes the chemistry of the oceans and can potentially have significant impacts on the biological systems in the upper oceans.

This report was generated by the Bush Administration NOAA.

Now, the acidity of the ocean impacts the entire food chain, so to maintain healthy oceans, we need to get rid of excess CO2.

quote:

ORIGINAL: jlf1961



Okay, your stand is that CO2 is not a pollutant.

Then please explain why excessive CO2 is dangerous? I am sure you are aware that Nuclear Submarines have CO2 scrubbers to remove excess CO2.

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ORIGINAL: eihwaz

Do you agree that, if excess CO2 degrades the habitability of earth, it needs regulation?  (I'm well aware that many don't believe in AGW, but I'm asking a somewhat different question.)

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ORIGINAL: jlf1961

Willbe, is your position that if no one else has to do it, why should we?


And I will agree with you on one point, everything can be a pollutant. Excess CO2 in water impacts the life cycle of that body of water. Get a large fish tank and let the CO2 get out of balance and see what happens.

Even excess oxygen can be dangerous, ever hear of oxygen narcosis?

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ORIGINAL: Fellow

I agree planting a tree is very nice. However, planting a tree actually contributes to global warming rather than reducing it. As it grows the tree sequesters CO2, but at the same time, the leaves strongly absorb radiation, and the tree evaporates large amounts of water vapor (stronger greenhouse gas than CO2) into the air. 

quote:

ORIGINAL: Kirata

The acidity of the ocean impacts the entire food chain, so to maintain healthy oceans we need to get rid of the excess acidity.

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ORIGINAL: Kirata

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ORIGINAL: DeviantlyD

But getting rid of excess CO2 is how the excess acidity would be removed. Oceans become acidic when CO2 dissolves into the ocean and forms carbonic acid.

That is not an argument for reflexively chanting this CO2-reduction mantra. There are many other causes of acidification that have a much stronger impact, creating regional acidic "hot spots" that can be addressed directly and effectively right now.

In a paper published in the journal Science, experts from Stanford University's Center for Ocean Solutions and colleagues make the case that communities don't need to wait for a global solution to ocean acidification to fix a local problem that is compromising their marine environment. Many localized acidification hotspots can be traced to local contributors of acidity that can be addressed using existing laws

And speaking of acidification, here's some old (but routinely ignored) news from The Sky Isn't Falling Department:

In a striking finding that raises new questions about carbon dioxide’s (CO2) impact on marine life, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) scientists report that some shell-building creatures—such as crabs, shrimp and lobsters—unexpectedly build more shell when exposed to ocean acidification caused by elevated levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2)... Organisms displaying such improvement also included calcifying red and green algae, limpets and temperate urchins...

"We were surprised that some organisms didn’t behave in the way we expected under elevated CO2," said Anne L. Cohen, a research specialist at WHOI and one of the study’s co-authors. “What was really interesting was that some of the creatures, the coral, the hard clam and the lobster, for example, didn’t seem to care about CO2 until it was higher than about 1,000 parts per million" [!] ... The "take-home message," says Cohen, is that "we can’t assume that elevated CO2 causes a proportionate decline in calcification of all calcifying organisms."

K.