Trees expelling methane.......

[Loosehead]

With the recent news that trees are expelling huge quatities of methane, not to mention cattle, is it time to reassess the holy scripture of the environmentalists that mankind is somehow anything to do with "global warming"?

[WoWo]

Hmm... so how come there are so many cows in the world? Man has bred them for his own needs and there are now many more than there would have been naturally, so in a way man is responsible for this also.

But I do a agree that while man may have tipped the balance somewhat, global warming is down as much to the natural changes in the earth as his input, IMO.

[rojash]

Can you give us a reference, Loosehead? I can't find any references to recent news that trees are expelling huge quantities of methane...

[Loosehead]

see here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4604332.stm

[gary baldy]

Anyone who thinks humans havent had an impact on global warming are flat earthers!
Saying that though there is a certain amount of human arrogance towards climate change aswell as though it is 'our' planet and that we are 'killing the planet'. We are not killing the planet - the planet can adapt and if it sees a threat to its existence it will iradicate it ie.- get rid us! Once we have been wiped off the earth the planet will get get along just fine. We only view the planet in the confines of how we understand our relationship to it - not in the bigger picture. The world did not begin and end with the human race!

[Lonnie]

Well put Loosehead. i'll leave this one to you.

[Loosehead]

Gary mankind at any one time has control of 2% of the Earth's carbon. The rest is in the Long Carbon cycle, look it up. I'm not saying mankind has no effect what I'm saying is that mankind is just one of the elements that have input to the bio sphere along with all the other species. Huge natural sources of carbon emissions exist from Volcanoes to forests fires. The climate has been cycling for millions of years.

I recommend the Nationoal Geographic's excellent "Earth Story" series for a pragmatic examination of what's happenned up to now.

[jake-the-peg]

I think the following is pretty much agreed

1) The Earth's climate is currently warming (recession of glaciers worldwide)

2) CO2 and other greenhouse gas levels are at record highs (ice core evidence over thousands of years, satelite data over the last 50)

3) Greenhouse gasses can cause climatic change (numerous sources)

Now as Loosehead says there's no firm evidence to show how much of an effect mankinds 2% of the CO2 is having (I doubt it's "No effect" ) but climate science is complex and we could find for example that the CO2 put into the upper atmosphere by volcanos and jet aircraft has a disproportionate effect in which case we could be OK with coal fired generators but would have to rethink global travel.

Personally though If I were sitting in a boat full of water with the sea lapping about just under the rim I wouldn't be saying "let it rain another 2% won't make a difference"

[jno]

jake, maybe you need a boat that floats?

I remember Ronald Reagan once blaming trees for pollution. At his next public appearance, protesters draped trees with slogans reading 'Stop me before I kill again!' But maybe the old codger was right, painful though it is to admit it.

Nonetheless, we can't escape responsibility for our own actions by claiming 'Everyone else is doing it!', the old schoolboy plea. If methane is dangerous, we should try to do something about it rather than just sitting back and blaming trees.

[jake-the-peg]

Maybe! Where would I get another "boat" in this analogy?

[nedflanders]

Lets not kid ourselves on! Humans cannot control the climate of the earth.

[Gef]

Loosehead's reference is interesting but please read the last two paragraphs.

So what if trees do produce lots of methane? Well they have been doing this for millions of years so what's the problem.

The problem might be man interfering in other ways but as others point out perhaps our contribution is insignificant and everything is cyclical anyway.

Sorry, no answers but a good question.

[Gef]

Loosehead shame on you. I answered your question in good faith without realising that you had just cribbed Lonnie's question below.

[Loosehead]

I didn't crib it when I posted it was there too. I did take a while cos I got interupted when I was typing it.

[Dolly1308]

Why not chop down all the trees on earth and then see if the global warming reverses!!

[Karen2005]

This article has something to say on this matter:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/climatechange/story/0,,1687979 ,00.html

[Karen2005]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/climatechange/story/0,12374,16 87979,00.html