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["Mark Angermayer" <hangermayer@isp.com>]

I have a few layman's questions about global warming (if someone's interested enough to take a shot at them) and a comment that I hope is not too controversial.

 

 

Questions:

 

1. I've read that the natural underground coal fires produce more atmospheric carbon annually than all humans combined.  I read this from a book that didn't seem to have a statement to make, just reporting facts.  Can anybody substantiate this?

 

2.  Won't the global warming cause increased vegetation because of increased CO2 (plant food) and increased temperatures?  Will this increased vegetation cause increased soil carbon?  My understanding is soil has an incredible capacity to hold carbon.  Is this correct?  Will this have a minimizing affect on global warming?

 

3.  Has anyone considered how much carbon we pack into landfills, and will this have any significant affect on carbon taken out of the atmosphere (and placed in the landfills)?  I've been to a landfill for this area (KC), and I was amazed at what I saw.  I kid you not, there were trash trucks lined up for a quarter mile, moving right along, and just as many coming out.  The dump had an army of heavy equipment all running, all at the same time, covering trash, moving dirt, digging more space.  The sheer volume they were burying was incredible.  Assuming cities around the world are all doing this, will this have any affect on reducing global warming?

 

4.  Would a little global warming be detrimental, or could it be beneficial?  Stephen mentioned extinctions are up, but is this due to global warming, or due to continued human encroachment and habitat destruction?  My impression is that when it was warmer (when the dinosaurs roamed) the earth supported more vegetation, which in a certain sense might seem favorable?  Is this correct?

 

Now for the comment:

 

So far I'm not fond of the approach that we (the U.S.) aggressively reduce carbon emissions, while China brings online one multi-mega coal fired power plant per week.  I don't buy the idea that since we are more prosperous, we can sacrifice more.  For the last generation, our prosperity has been borrowed.  Our national debt is 11 tril. and is set to double over the next decade.  (Both parties are to blame.)  I believe the interest alone on the national debt now exceeds 25% of the annual federal budget.  If the debt doubles in the next decade, we will owe about $60k for every man, woman, child, or $240,000 for a family of four.  Paying that back will put more than a dent in our standard of living.

 

Mark

KS