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

[Robert Carlson <rcarlson@physicstoolkit.com>]

So, can we agree that coal and oil are biofuels?


--- On Wed, 3/11/09, Kilmer, Skip <kilmers@greenhill.org> wrote:

> From: Kilmer, Skip <kilmers@greenhill.org>
> Subject: RE: [Phys-l] Climate Change - Is it Controversial?
> To: "rcarlson@physicstoolkit.com" <rcarlson@physicstoolkit.com>, "Forum for Physics Educators" <phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu>, "appell@nasw.org" <appell@nasw.org>
> Date: Wednesday, March 11, 2009, 8:33 AM
> I'm not sure where you are going with this, Robert, so
> I'll try a gambit and see where you take it. The issue
> is that we are turning concentrated carbon into CO2 and
> releasing it into the atmosphere where it blankets the
> surface and warms the planet. Fortunately, sources of
> concentrated carbon are limited; although not to the point
> which can prevent us from profoundly changing our climate in
> incompletely predictable ways. Most of this carbon, whether
> in the form of petroleum or coal, was concentrated by
> organisms millions of years ago, which died in such
> conditions that the carbon concentrations were piled up and
> preserved until we got the idea to dig them up and recombine
> them with oxygen. Some of the carbon (part of the methane we
> burn) may be primordial, but most of it seems to be
> associated with petroleum deposits.
> What now?
> Skip
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
> [mailto:phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu] On Behalf
> Of Robert Carlson
> Sent: Tuesday, March 10, 2009 7:36 PM
> To: phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu; appell@nasw.org
> Subject: Re: [Phys-l] Climate Change - Is it Controversial?
>
>
> So please indulge me with an answer whether you think it is
> irrelevant or not.  Are they from previous lifeforms or
> simply elemental carbon?
>
>
> --- On Tue, 3/10/09, David Appell <appell@nasw.org>
> wrote:
>
> > From: David Appell <appell@nasw.org>
> > Subject: Re: [Phys-l] Climate Change - Is it
> Controversial?
> > To: phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
> > Cc: rcarlson@physicstoolkit.com
> > Date: Tuesday, March 10, 2009, 7:30 PM
> > Robert Carlson wrote:
> > > Are fossil fuels called fossil fuels because they
> were
> > once lifeforms?
> >
> > Irrelevant -- (although I can tell you like being a
> pissy
> > little smart-aleck about it, as you are well aware).
> We are
> > talking about carbon-based fuels that have been stored
> > underground for millions of years. Their origin is
> > irrelevant.
> >
> > David
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