What is the current percentage of CO2 in the atmosphere?

[evolvedbullet]

When the world was made, the percentages applied to the atmosphere:
78% Nitrogen
21% Oxygen
0.9 Argon
0.03 Carbon Dioxide
Reference

How has it changed since the world was made between than and now? Anything other than CO2 that has effected the world dramatically?

I am curious on what the current level of CO2 is because I would like to know just how screwed the next generation is. Your thoughts?

P.S.: Every other site I go to in the search of this information holds articles that are PURCHASEABLE to look at. Have a debate if necessary, discuss freely, do as you wish to benefit the conversation.

 

[evolvedbullet]

I have just learned that an 82% increase has happened during the 20th century alone. It is my belief that global warming is a normal process the world goes through to 'remake' it's atmosphere. I could be wrong on a massive scale but I believe that global warming, now, has been caused by man's involvement. I'm just thinking we have accelerated a process that happens naturally.

 

[Siddhartha]

Originally posted by: evolvedbullet
When the world was made, the percentages applied to the atmosphere:
78% Nitrogen
21% Oxygen
0.9 Argon
0.03 Carbon Dioxide
Reference

How has it changed since the world was made between than and now? Anything other than CO2 that has effected the world dramatically?

I am curious on what the current level of CO2 is because I would like to know just how screwed the next generation is. Your thoughts?

P.S.: Every other site I go to in the search of this information holds articles that are PURCHASEABLE to look at. Have a debate if necessary, discuss freely, do as you wish to benefit the conversation.

That is the current composition of Earth's atmosphere.

 

[bbdub333]

As much as you'd like to believe CO2 is responsible for warming, it is all but insignificant compared to other greenhouse gases, mainly water vapor.

 

[wwswimming]

about 389 parts per million.

 

[Mark R]

Graph

Historically CO2 has been about 0.029% - it's currently about 0.039%

 

[Lemon law]

Can we get off the simplistic argument that CO2 is the only casual factor in global warming? As we learn more and more of the complex science, we must get rid of simplistic single variable predictors and recognize its a complex interaction of many variables we are only beginning to understand.

Yet on the macro level, things are happening now that have not occurred for many hundreds of thousands of years. Just because we cannot precisely predict does not mean its is not in our face happening.

 

[evolvedbullet]

Wow, I never knew anything other than Greenhouse gases and CO2 didn't stand alone. But I am curious, what else is trapping the heat of the sun's rays on the earth that isn't Greenhouse gases and Carbon Dioxide?

 

[Brainonska511]

Originally posted by: Lemon law
Can we get off the simplistic argument that CO2 is the only casual factor in global warming? As we learn more and more of the complex science, we must get rid of simplistic single variable predictors and recognize its a complex interaction of many variables we are only beginning to understand.

Yet on the macro level, things are happening now that have not occurred for many hundreds of thousands of years. Just because we cannot precisely predict does not mean its is not in our face happening.

I was watching NOVA the other night on PBS. It was about Global Dimming - the output of soot and ash particles by power plants/cars reduces the amount of light hitting the surface, acting as a cooling effect. But on the other side, you have increased greenhouse gas levels that help to keep the planet warm. So reducing soot outputs can accelerate the effects of greenhouse gases and v.v.

 

[dmcowen674]

No one that can make a difference will make a difference until it's too late.

In other words when most of the planet becomes uninhabitable no one cares.

 

[Triumph]

Originally posted by: evolvedbullet
Wow, I never knew anything other than Greenhouse gases and CO2 didn't stand alone. But I am curious, what else is trapping the heat of the sun's rays on the earth that isn't Greenhouse gases and Carbon Dioxide?

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. Anything of a gaseous nature that absorbs or reflects infrared energy radiating from the surface of the earth, and not allowing it to escape into space, can be considered a greenhouse gas.

*edit* Just did a google search to check my facts, using the "define: greenhouse gas" function and came up with some pretty hilariously biased answers:

"A gas which acts like the glass in a greenhouse, trapping heat in the earth?s atmosphere, to cause the greenhouse effect. Two of the most common greenhouses gases are carbon dioxide and methane." (while water vapor accounts for >30% of greenhouse gases)

"Gasses added to the atmosphere by human actions that trap heat and cause global warming."

"A gas in Earth's atmosphere that traps heat and can contribute to global warming. Carbon dioxide and methane are the two most important."

"a gas produced from burn fossil fuels, which hold and trap heat energy; carbon dioxide is an example"

"A gas that when released into the atmosphere, traps infrared radiation (heat) and causes a slow heating of the planet. CO2 is the most common GHG."

:roll:

 

[WHAMPOM]

Originally posted by: bbdub333
As much as you'd like to believe CO2 is responsible for warming, it is all but insignificant compared to other greenhouse gases, mainly water vapor.

Oh? And water vapor has doubled since when?

 

[Corn]

Originally posted by: dmcowen674
No one that can make a difference will make a difference until it's too late.

In other words when most of the planet becomes inhabitable no one cares.

OMG, some day the world will be "inhabitable", WHAT WILL WE DO THEN??????



LOL, I guess we'll just have to inhabit it then.......

 

[evolvedbullet]

Wait.. Water Vapor comes from condensation, guessing that there is too much water vapor in the atmosphere might be due to blame the greenhouse gases heating up the planet more than it should. I strongly believe that man contributed to additional Carbon Dioxide to the atmosphere but is that all to blame for the high water vapor levels or what other kind of gas is making additional water vapor.

And I'm curious here, is the atmosphere a very complex environmental blanket? My point is that with the high water vapor levels in the atmosphere (going along with my belief that this is caused by the condensation of excessive water melting from the poles of the world), is it weighing it down, weakening it with an additional burden?

 

[Corn]

Dihydrogen monoxide will be then end to us all.

 

[bbdub333]

Originally posted by: WHAMPOM

Originally posted by: bbdub333
As much as you'd like to believe CO2 is responsible for warming, it is all but insignificant compared to other greenhouse gases, mainly water vapor.

Oh? And water vapor has doubled since when?

I'll wait for you to figure out how dumb an argument that is yourself.

 

[bbdub333]

Originally posted by: evolvedbullet
Wait.. Water Vapor comes from condensation, guessing that there is too much water vapor in the atmosphere might be due to blame the greenhouse gases heating up the planet more than it should. I strongly believe that man contributed to additional Carbon Dioxide to the atmosphere but is that all to blame for the high water vapor levels or what other kind of gas is making additional water vapor.

And I'm curious here, is the atmosphere a very complex environmental blanket? My point is that with the high water vapor levels in the atmosphere (going along with my belief that this is caused by the condensation of excessive water melting from the poles of the world), is it weighing it down, weakening it with an additional burden?

You're getting good at your Gore-speak.

 

[fskimospy]

Originally posted by: evolvedbullet
Wait.. Water Vapor comes from condensation, guessing that there is too much water vapor in the atmosphere might be due to blame the greenhouse gases heating up the planet more than it should. I strongly believe that man contributed to additional Carbon Dioxide to the atmosphere but is that all to blame for the high water vapor levels or what other kind of gas is making additional water vapor.

And I'm curious here, is the atmosphere a very complex environmental blanket? My point is that with the high water vapor levels in the atmosphere (going along with my belief that this is caused by the condensation of excessive water melting from the poles of the world), is it weighing it down, weakening it with an additional burden?

Basically there are a whole load of different things that trap heat. The reason why we focus on CO2 so much is that it is A.) being released in massive quantities, and B.) it is one of the ones that we have the most power to change. Don't let the ignorant people here fool you, the fact that other gasses contribute to global warming as well in no way decreases the importance of controlling CO2 emissions.

 

[Lemon law]

One of the other main green house gasses is methane. Large amounts are now locked in methane hydrates in the sea bed and are only semi stable at present temperatures. Especially in arctic, large quantities are bubbling out of defrosted permafrost soils and methane is many times more effective than CO2 as greenhouse gas.