Prague Twin

Monday, January 22, 2007

Man Vs. Volcano




Which is worse?





I've heard some stupid things in my life, but the claim that a volcano releases more CO2 in one spit than all of industry over the last 150 years has to be the stupidest. For the record, let's use the USGS as a reference. They state.....

Scientists have calculated that volcanoes emit between about 130-230 million tonnes (145-255 million tons) of CO2 into the atmosphere every year (Gerlach, 1999, 1992). This estimate includes both subaerial and submarine volcanoes, about in equal amounts. Emissions of CO2 by human activities, including fossil fuel burning, cement production, and gas flaring, amount to about 22 billion tonnes per year (24 billion tons) Human activities release more than 150 times the amount of CO2 emitted by volcanoes--the equivalent of nearly 17,000 additional volcanoes like Kilauea.

O.K. I feel better now.







7 Comments:

  • Million, billion ... SAME thing!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 9:27 PM  

  • Like Colbert always says, pt: you have to stop relying on facts. Go with your gut. It feels like volcanoes are bigger global warming problems than human activity - therefore it is true.

    By Blogger Reality-Based Educator, at 10:55 PM  

  • Nothing as dangerous as a cow, either.

    By Blogger Publia, at 12:36 AM  

  • wow, i hadn't heard that one before. i know nothing about science but I would have to call bullshit on the volcanoes are causing global warming argument. it is great to look something up and be completely right huh

    By Blogger Graeme, at 6:17 AM  

  • Romunov,

    What is a decimal point between friends?

    RBE,

    Facts are stubborn things.

    Publia,

    I've heard some murmurings about the cows too. Can you do a post on that?

    Graeme,

    Vocanoes can have some effect, in both directions actually. The CO2 can cause warming, but the sulfur-dioxide that goes up into the stratosphere blocks the sun and causes cooling as did the 1991 Pinatubo erruption in the Philippines where a temporary .5 degree celsius cooling (world wide) was witnessed as a result.

    By Blogger Praguetwin, at 8:22 AM  

  • I was wondering if I was the stupid source for the quote you're posting on here. If not, I often think the song is about me. If so, I recall a list of billion of tons of gas ejected in really big eruptions and I guess I interpolated. So far Google has let me down. I'll post if I find it.

    By Blogger Roger Fraley, at 4:44 AM  

  • It was good for me. Not sure why that customer coulnd't be satisfied who needed the nice stuff



    manmade

    By Anonymous Lucy, at 10:10 AM  

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