CLIMATE: Carbon dioxide questions linger

PBS had an interesting program on this last week presenting many compelling arguments for the theory of man-made global warming. One was an experiment that proved that carbon dioxide actually did block heat transfer. Second was a series of graphs showing a strong correlation between carbon dioxide levels and temperature, seasonally and through the centuries.

As I pondered this verifiable scientific information, a couple of things troubled me. Firstly, I wondered what concentration of carbon dioxide is actually required to affect climate change. In their experiment, air, which contains carbon dioxide, did not block heat transfer, only the pure gas did.

Secondly, they explained natural differences in carbon dioxide levels by the cycles of plant growth. In spring plants leaf out and absorb carbon dioxide and release it back in the fall as they go into dormancy. However, this seems to contradict their conclusions, since this should cause lower levels of carbon dioxide in summer and higher levels in winter.

Additionally they neglected to mention another source of seasonal levels. According to the program, the oceans account for 50 percent of the carbon dioxide absorbed by our planet. Due to the solubility properties of gases, as temperatures rise, absorbed carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere. This would suggest that the elevated temperatures cause the elevated carbon dioxide levels and not the other way around.

I have discovered a strong correlation between the number of cars speeding in the summer and traffic citations issued. Should we conclude that writing traffic citations causes drivers to speed?

ALLEN ORTMANN

Coeur d’Alene