Old Rocks
Diamond Member
Damn. In the depths of an ice age, the CO2 was at 180 ppm. And CH4 was about 400 ppb. In the Eemian, 120,000 years ago, the CO2 was 300 ppm, and CH4 about 800 ppb. At that time, the climate was slightly warmer, and the oceans were about 20 ft higher than at present.
Now in the last 150 years, we have gone from 280 ppm CO2 to 400+ ppm CO2, from 750 ppb CH4 to 1800+ ppb CH4. But you want to tell me that is not having any effect?
Forty five years ago, I had a job that included fighting forest fires. The fires we fought were measured in acres, and most were knocked down with what today would be considered minor effort. In that same area, last year, they had a fire that burned 175 square miles, and was pushed by a wind that the area had only experianced once before in the last century. It was spotting two miles ahead of itself. Even with the best of equipment, they could not stop it. In fact, their efforts were concentrated on saving the three small towns in that area. At the same time, unusual winds were creating the same kinds of fires north and east of there in Oregon, and all across Northeastern Washington.
Yes, we are seeing unusual conditions. This year we saw a fire that burned a town in Alberta, and about a thousand square miles of forest. While there have been big fires before, we did not have super tankers and the equipment we have today to fight those fires. Even with the equipment we have today, when we get that unusual weather, all we can try to do is save the towns.
Yes, weather changes over the period of a century. However, what counts is the rate of change, and that is accelerating at present, and will continue to accelerate as the oceans and atmosphere warms.
Now in the last 150 years, we have gone from 280 ppm CO2 to 400+ ppm CO2, from 750 ppb CH4 to 1800+ ppb CH4. But you want to tell me that is not having any effect?
Forty five years ago, I had a job that included fighting forest fires. The fires we fought were measured in acres, and most were knocked down with what today would be considered minor effort. In that same area, last year, they had a fire that burned 175 square miles, and was pushed by a wind that the area had only experianced once before in the last century. It was spotting two miles ahead of itself. Even with the best of equipment, they could not stop it. In fact, their efforts were concentrated on saving the three small towns in that area. At the same time, unusual winds were creating the same kinds of fires north and east of there in Oregon, and all across Northeastern Washington.
Yes, we are seeing unusual conditions. This year we saw a fire that burned a town in Alberta, and about a thousand square miles of forest. While there have been big fires before, we did not have super tankers and the equipment we have today to fight those fires. Even with the equipment we have today, when we get that unusual weather, all we can try to do is save the towns.
Yes, weather changes over the period of a century. However, what counts is the rate of change, and that is accelerating at present, and will continue to accelerate as the oceans and atmosphere warms.
