16
votes
Why do we recycle paper?
Wouldn't a more beneficial method of disposing of such waste be to find a method of isolating them from the effects of weathering and keeping the carbon they contain locked up as long as possible?
...
- 22.4k
16
votes
Accepted
How did plants adapt to $\small\sf{CO_2}$ levels past 400k years? Why won't they do it again?
I'm not sure where and why has all CO2 gone every 100.000 years and out of where has CO2 come?
The amount of CO2 in the atmosphere for the last 400000 years is very strongly correlated with ...
- 22.4k
13
votes
Can anyone explain the reason why CO$_2$ increases global temperatures (not the simplistic greenhouse analogy provided for public consumption)?
Borrowing an explanation from one of my other answers, the basic mechanism of the greenhouse effect is roughly as follows (note this is also a simplified model)
The Earth is in (to all intents and ...
- 1,834
12
votes
Accepted
Is it possible that a reduction in vegetation is a cause of global warming?
The short answer is that people do talk about it. It is commonly referred to as "land use change". In general, the carbon dioxide equivalent of the effects of land-use change is on the order of 10% ...
- 12.9k
11
votes
How many trees would I have to plant to solve Global Warming?
This question is from 2014 with answers from 2015. Just to add the point of view of some research that has been done since.
In essence, new calculations show that NCS (natural climate solutions: a ...
- 22.8k
11
votes
Accepted
Which percentage of $\text{CO}_2$ emissions are human made emissions?
First of all, the amount of carbon cycling trough the Earth's system is irrelevant to the discussion of the changes in atmospheric $\text{CO}_2$ concentration or ocean acidification. In the same way ...
- 17.3k
10
votes
Accepted
Did climate cool down when underground hydrocarbons stocks formed?
Possibly
One thing you have to understand is that natural carbon sequestration via the formation of fossil fuel is VERY slow, it can take millions of years to build up the coal we burn in a day. In ...
- 6,679
8
votes
Why has CO2 decreased in the history of the Earth?
The short answer is that most of the Earth's original allotment of CO2 got locked up in various carbonate minerals, largely calcite (limestone, marble, and chalk). According to this article there is ...
- 2,157
8
votes
Accepted
Why do we recycle paper?
My understanding is that the fossil fuels we use for energy were
generated during the Carboniferous period by burying carbon rich plant
matter in anoxic swamps. If we are causing climate change by ...
- 5,747
7
votes
What is the difference between a carbon sink and a carbon reservoir?
The difference is that a carbon sink accumulates carbon, whereas a carbon reservoir has accumulated carbon.
That is to say:
A carbon sink is an ongoing process which is increasing the amount of ...
- 4,090
7
votes
Does vegetation contribute to long-term carbon sequestration?
An important role of vegetation in carbon sequestration is related to what happens belowground. Plant roots comprise a signficant portion of vegetative biomass and remain in the soil even when a plant ...
- 71
7
votes
Accepted
What is the evidence it is feasible to reverse ocean acidification by adding large quantities of a base (bicarb soda)?
Instead of using sodium bicarbonate why not use limestone instead? Limestone is already used on an industrial scale to neutralise acids and acidic solutions. Also, sodium bicarbonate needs to be ...
- 23.1k
7
votes
Are all natural diamonds made of organic carbon material?
Diamond isn't made of organic C at all. Organic matter would rather become oil, gas, coal or dissolve entirely.
C itself isn't very common in earth's mantle, but subducted eclogites and peridotites ...
- 452
7
votes
Why did the carboniferous period have so much atmospheric oxygen?
The Carboniferous was when the growth of woody plants took off. Non-plant life had not yet evolved the ability to consume lignins, the key chemical components that makes woody plants "woody". Lignins ...
- 22.4k
7
votes
Is $\ce{CO_2}$ in photosynthesis the only way for carbon to become organic?
The answer is no. One important mechanism that also fixes carbon is chemosynthesis. One good example of this production is around hydrothermal vents in the bottom of the ocean.
Chemosynthesis is the ...
- 15.3k
6
votes
Why cannot people burn all the atmospheric oxygen?
Photosynthesis has not stopped. It happens all the time, splitting water and carbon dioxide, and producing oxygen and carbohydrates. Likewise, organic matter rots and decomposes all the time, ...
- 1,998
6
votes
Accepted
What is the relevance of Arctic coastal erosion to the Earth's climate?
If we consider only the climatic impacts of Arctic coastal erosion, there are still two sides of the question of how relevant is Arctic coastal erosion of permafrost.
The first side is how big is its ...
- 17.3k
6
votes
Accepted
Why doesn't Earth absorb our carbon emissions?
That assumption is indeed logical and correct, and increased plant growth is in fact happening (this effect is known as $\ce{CO2}$ fertilization). As you suggests, Earth will adapt to the increased ...
- 17.3k
5
votes
Why do we recycle paper?
This question (and my answer) borders on opinion but is a good example of the interface between the science and policy.
Forests and tree plantations are a sink for carbon but that sink is a one-off ...
- 4,359
5
votes
Are all natural diamonds made of organic carbon material?
Not so fast, we can't say that 'no diamond is made of organic carbon'. There are two types of diamond, based upon the relative abundance of $^{12}C$ and $^{13}C$ isotopes. The 'lighter' carbon (...
- 14.1k
5
votes
Accepted
Does organic decay release the same CO2 as burning?
I can't quantify the answer, but intuitively, nearly all of a burning tree's carbon is converted to $\small\mathsf{CO_2}$ - assuming the fire is hot enough. You are correct in assuming that termites ...
- 14.1k
5
votes
Accepted
Carbon's role in ocean acidification
In answering this complex question, I think it's important to consider the form of carbon that is utilized and the overall reactions involved (warning: somewhat lengthy diversion ahead, and advance ...
- 76
5
votes
Accepted
Why did the carboniferous period have so much atmospheric oxygen?
To complement @DavidHammen answer and address the point "where did so much oxygen come from?" I will elaborate on David's final remark
The end result was a gradual increase in oxygen levels
The ...
- 17.3k
5
votes
If planting trees is ineffective to tackle climate change, why do people plant them?
Timber, shade, nuts, fruits, animal habitat, flowers, landscaping, erosion control, poles for electric power distribution, syrup, spices,coffee, and other things unrelated to global warming.
- 1,023
4
votes
Why has CO2 decreased in the history of the Earth?
No, it is not due to lush vegetation (that was not around until just hundreds of millions of years ago). The period around 2.5 billion years ago is known as the Great Oxygenation period. No one ...
- 393
4
votes
How will increased $\ce{CO2}$ affect forests and other vegetative areas?
It seems that tropical forests absorb more carbon dioxide than many scientists have believed before. NASA and NCAR scientists have shown that tropical forests absorb 1.4 billion metric tons out of a ...
- 15.3k
4
votes
What is the difference between a carbon sink and a carbon reservoir?
A carbon reservoir is measured by the amount of carbon it contains, for example kilograms of carbon [kg C]. A carbon source or sink is measured by the amount that comes out or into the reservoir from ...
- 3,790
4
votes
Why do we recycle paper?
The main source of "fresh" paper is trees. Forests, either natural or plantations, have to be cut down to satisfy our need for paper. It is well established that forests are a major sink for carbon.
...
- 23.1k
4
votes
Why cannot people burn all the atmospheric oxygen?
If I understand it right, you are assuming that in the beginning we had CO2, which was then split to organic carbon and O2 via photosynthesis. And now you are asking if it's possible to reverse all of ...
- 22.8k
4
votes
If planting trees is ineffective to tackle climate change, why do people plant them?
Planting trees has a short term benefit in carbon sequestration but will not offset the carbon from fossil fuel burning. However, in some places trees provide a benefit of increasing soil carbon which ...
- 4,359
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