Re: [Phys-l] Climate Change - Is it Controversial?

["M. Horton" <scitch@verizon.net>]

I don't want to get into this argument, but wanted to correct this since it 
has been said several times.  Oil does not come from plant materials.  Coal 
does.  Oil comes from prehistoric oceanic microorganisms.  It is true that 
some claim that oil comes from geologic processes, but this is the vast 
minority opinion.  Many headlines claimed that there was "petroleum" on 
Saturn's moon Titan, but it was liquid methane.  These headlines really 
resurrected the idea that oil does not come from formerly living creatures. 
But hydrocarbon and petroleum are not exactly the same thing.  The titles 
were sensationalist.

M. Horton

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert Yeend" <ryeend@sbcglobal.net>
To: <appell@nasw.org>; "Forum for Physics Educators" 
<phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, March 10, 2009 10:29 PM
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] Climate Change - Is it Controversial?


Perhaps I'm missing something here, but it seems to me that Robert
Carlson is taking a lot of abuse for having asked a fairly
straightforward question.

Back in the middle of the last century, when I was in grade school,
we were taught that oil, natural gas, and coal (and therefor diamond)
were formed from big fern like plants that grew in abundance long,
long ago. If that's no longer the accepted explanation, I, too, would
be interested in knowing. No particular agenda, just curiosity.

Bob Yeend


On Mar 10, 2009, at 5:44 PM, David Appell wrote:

> Robert Carlson wrote:
> > So please indulge me with an answer whether you think it is
> > irrelevant
> > or not.  Are they from previous lifeforms or simply elemental carbon?
>
> Again, it does not matter.
>
> Clearly you think you have some point that is ha-ha clever
> aren't-you-brilliant to bring up, but it is totally irrelevant to the
> argument and therefore ignored. Grow up, please.
>
> David
>
>
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