New study confirms CO2 levels are the Earth's "thermostat" over 485 million years of data studied

BackInTheGame78

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Researchers have come up with pretty conclusive evidence about several things after studying 485 million years of climactic data.

They said the Earth's average temperature during that time has ranged between 52 degrees and 97 degrees.

They also find that CO2 levels are essentially the "thermostat" for earth as when CO2 levels are high, the temperature rises and when they have been low, the temperature falls and this has been very consistent over all of the data studied.

However there are 3 things to note:

  1. Humans and most animals evolved over a time period that has a range of 10 degrees from coldest to warmest averages. This gives us very little ability to have innate survival mechanisms for conditions outside this range.
  2. The current rapid increases in CO2 levels are unprecedented over the 485 million years. Never before has it increased so rapidly in Earth's history.
  3. While this is nowhere near as warm as earth has been in the past, it IS approaching or already at the warmest it's ever been since humans and most of the mammals have evolved.
The alarming part is that with CO2 levels and as a byproduct, temperatures, increasing so rapidly, it far outpaces the ability of a species to adapt to these conditions over time. They simply don't work that quickly which raises serious concerns for not only humans but many of the other animals survival as the CO2 levels as temperatures continue to increase at ever accelerated levels.

 

Scaramouche

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Hi BackInTheGame,
Just to cheer you up,in Southern Australia we are experiencing the coldest Spring Days ever recorded.
 

BackInTheGame78

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Hi BackInTheGame,
Just to cheer you up,in Southern Australia we are experiencing the coldest Spring Days ever recorded.
It's meaningless. It's called "global" for a reason. Not one area of the world or regional.

And weren't you also experiencing record winter warmth for a long period of time a few weeks earlier also? Like temps you normally see in the summer?

Actually yes from what I found below...a record warm winter temp of almost 107 degrees. Did you sleep thru that Rip Vanwinkle?

"Australia registered a record-high winter temperature Monday, with the mercury hitting 41.6 degrees Celsius (106.7 degrees Fahrenheit) in part of its rugged and remote northwest coast.

Official data shows average temperatures for Australia steadily rising, with climate change fuelling more intense bushfires, floods, drought and heatwaves."


The previous record was set 4 years ago, which is a pretty short time for an all time record to stand.

 
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AmsterdamAssassin

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That cheers me up. It's too damned hot everywhere.
Last Sunday, only one group of runners started on the 20km 'Dam-tot-Dam Loop' half-marathon. That first group suffered so many heat exhaustion casualties that there weren't enough volunteer first aid workers to help them all, so the second and third group were not allowed to start for health safety sake.
We're talking about the end of September here, when our Autumn usually starts...
 

Scaramouche

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Hi BackInTheGame,
Well at least Old Vanderdonck is happy....I never heard about the Yampi Sound record 107F,pretty amazing,but to put things in perspective,as the Crow flies that's 2107 miles from my place...If you live in California,San Francisco is only 549 miles from Death Valley!...Yes there was a warm patch six weeks ago,lulled into a false sense of security I put in a Dozen advanced Tomato Plants then last Tuesday the frost got them and also my Spuds,Cucumbers and Zuchinis...Unprecedented for the time of year....In Adelaide they recorded to lowest Spring Temperature in 127 years of keeping records,one of my Daughters down in Canberra said the same thing happened there...But you shouldn't be reflecting on such morbid and drear topics,get out a Shvag a few of the Paris Mamselles!
 

Deep Dish

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The Climate has been constantly changing for 4.6 billion years.
Yes, but the cycles happen over hundreds of thousands of years, not on the scale of centuries.
 

BackInTheGame78

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Karl Marx said "Religion is the opium of the masses", yet ironically, "Climate Change" (which is their version of misanthropy), is the 21st Century Religion of the Political Left.

The Climate has been constantly changing for 4.6 billion years.
Never this fast that's the whole point. The suddenness this is happening took tens or hundreds of thousands of years prior, not 200.

The rate of change is staggering in comparison to any other point in Earth's history.
 

DarwinTaurus

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Never this fast that's the whole point. The suddenness this is happening took tens or hundreds of thousands of years prior, not 200.

The rate of change is staggering in comparison to any other point in Earth's history.
Well, I would say the quickest rate of change in the climate would be pretty instant, with an asteroid strike.
 

Deep Dish

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Well, I would say the quickest rate of change in the climate would be pretty instant, with an asteroid strike.
An asteroid strike caused a temperature change of five degrees celsius.

The climate has changed by nearly two degrees celsius since 1850, so about half has much.

But restricting the scope to natural cycles of climate, this climate change is happening unnaturally fast.
 

BaronOfHair

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Researchers have come up with pretty conclusive evidence about several things after studying 485 million years of climactic data.

They said the Earth's average temperature during that time has ranged between 52 degrees and 97 degrees.

They also find that CO2 levels are essentially the "thermostat" for earth as when CO2 levels are high, the temperature rises and when they have been low, the temperature falls and this has been very consistent over all of the data studied.

However there are 3 things to note:

  1. Humans and most animals evolved over a time period that has a range of 10 degrees from coldest to warmest averages. This gives us very little ability to have innate survival mechanisms for conditions outside this range.
  2. The current rapid increases in CO2 levels are unprecedented over the 485 million years. Never before has it increased so rapidly in Earth's history.
  3. While this is nowhere near as warm as earth has been in the past, it IS approaching or already at the warmest it's ever been since humans and most of the mammals have evolved.
The alarming part is that with CO2 levels and as a byproduct, temperatures, increasing so rapidly, it far outpaces the ability of a species to adapt to these conditions over time. They simply don't work that quickly which raises serious concerns for not only humans but many of the other animals survival as the CO2 levels as temperatures continue to increase at ever accelerated levels.

So what we do? Something I've noticed about Eco-Warriors/Eco-Warriors-lite: They give MRAs a run for their money, when it comes to screeching "The End Is Nigh, UNLESS everyone drops their lives, and invests all of their energy into our cause"
 

taiyuu_otoko

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So what we do? Something I've noticed about Eco-Warriors/Eco-Warriors-lite: They give MRAs a run for their money, when it comes to screeching "The End Is Nigh, UNLESS everyone drops their lives, and invests all of their energy into our cause"
Everybody is always looking for a "we're all gonna die unless" cause that will give them the ability to tell other people what they should be doing.

Being in charge of other people's behavior, energy use, decisions, etc. is the wet dream of every power hungry leftist.
 

BackInTheGame78

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So what we do? Something I've noticed about Eco-Warriors/Eco-Warriors-lite: They give MRAs a run for their money, when it comes to screeching "The End Is Nigh, UNLESS everyone drops their lives, and invests all of their energy into our cause"
They have figured out some pretty amazing carbon dioxide sequestering methods but they need to be able to produce them at scale.

That's the issue...the methods are highly effective but they don't operate at a global scale.
 

BaronOfHair

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That's the issue...the methods are highly effective but they don't operate at a global scale.
So, if we accept what you've just shared as Gospel Truth for the sake of conversation, there isn't much that we can pragmatically do to fix or reduce global warming at the moment

That leads us to then wonder: Is fretting over something we can't do much about right now especially gainful?
 

Deep Dish

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There is possible hope with hydrates, maybe.

"Today, the most common carbon storage method involves injecting carbon dioxide into underground reservoirs. This technique has the dual benefits of trapping carbon and also increasing oil production. However, this technique faces significant issues, including carbon dioxide leakage and migration, groundwater contamination and seismic risks associated with injection. Many parts of the world also lack suitable geologic features for reservoir injection.

Hydrates represent a “plan B” for gigascale carbon storage, Bahadur said, but they could become “plan A” if some of the main issues can be overcome. Until now, the process of forming these carbon-trapping hydrates has been slow and energy-intensive, holding it back as a large-scale means of carbon storage.

In this new study, the researchers achieved a sixfold increase in the hydrate formation rate compared with previous methods. The speed combined with the chemical-free process make it easier to use these hydrates for mass-scale carbon storage.

Magnesium represents the “secret sauce” in this research, acting as a catalyst that eliminates the need for chemical promoters. This is aided by high flow rate bubbling of CO2 in a specific reactor configuration. This technology works well with seawater, which makes it easier to implement because it doesn’t rely on complex desalination processes to create fresh water. "

https://news.utexas.edu/2024/07/08/new-carbon-storage-technology-is-fastest-of-its-kind/
 

BackInTheGame78

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So, if we accept what you've just shared as Gospel Truth for the sake of conversation, there isn't much that we can pragmatically do to fix or reduce global warming at the moment

That leads us to then wonder: Is fretting over something we can't do much about right now especially gainful?
There is...figure out a way to produce these methods at global scale.
 

BackInTheGame78

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There is possible hope with hydrates, maybe.

"Today, the most common carbon storage method involves injecting carbon dioxide into underground reservoirs. This technique has the dual benefits of trapping carbon and also increasing oil production. However, this technique faces significant issues, including carbon dioxide leakage and migration, groundwater contamination and seismic risks associated with injection. Many parts of the world also lack suitable geologic features for reservoir injection.

Hydrates represent a “plan B” for gigascale carbon storage, Bahadur said, but they could become “plan A” if some of the main issues can be overcome. Until now, the process of forming these carbon-trapping hydrates has been slow and energy-intensive, holding it back as a large-scale means of carbon storage.

In this new study, the researchers achieved a sixfold increase in the hydrate formation rate compared with previous methods. The speed combined with the chemical-free process make it easier to use these hydrates for mass-scale carbon storage.

Magnesium represents the “secret sauce” in this research, acting as a catalyst that eliminates the need for chemical promoters. This is aided by high flow rate bubbling of CO2 in a specific reactor configuration. This technology works well with seawater, which makes it easier to implement because it doesn’t rely on complex desalination processes to create fresh water. "

https://news.utexas.edu/2024/07/08/new-carbon-storage-technology-is-fastest-of-its-kind/
They also found that various types of underground fungi/mushrooms have massive carbon dioxide removal potential on a scale many times greater than any other trees/plants they have discovered.

Fungi, particularly mushrooms and underground mycorrhizal networks, are gaining attention for their potential in carbon sequestration. While trees and plants store carbon primarily above ground, fungi operate below ground and contribute to long-term carbon storage in several ways:

1. Mycorrhizal Fungi:
- How they work: These fungi form symbiotic relationships with plant roots, extending far into the soil to help plants absorb nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen. In exchange, plants provide fungi with carbohydrates (carbon).
- Carbon storage potential: Mycorrhizal networks enhance soil carbon storage by stabilizing organic matter and promoting the transfer of carbon deeper into the soil. This carbon can remain stored for much longer than in plant biomass.
- Efficiency: Some studies suggest that these underground fungal networks can sequester significantly more carbon than forests because they store it in stable forms deep within the soil, where it is less likely to be released back into the atmosphere.

2. Fungal Mycelium Networks:

- How they work: Mycelium, the root-like structure of fungi, acts like a vast underground web. As it breaks down organic material in the soil, it stores carbon as it builds its network.
- Carbon storage potential: Certain types of fungi, like ectomycorrhizal fungi, can transfer large amounts of carbon into the soil and promote the accumulation of organic matter, which leads to increased carbon sequestration.
- Impact: Research suggests that mycelial networks could play a critical role in enhancing soil carbon storage. These networks cover vast areas underground, creating what some researchers refer to as "underground caverns" of interconnected fungal systems.

3. Fungi in Soil Carbon Sequestration:
- How they work: Fungi help decompose organic matter into stable forms of carbon that get incorporated into the soil. Unlike plants, which may release stored carbon if they die or decay, fungi help lock carbon in more stable forms within the soil matrix.
- Efficiency: Fungi contribute to the formation of stable soil aggregates that protect organic carbon from decomposition. These aggregates store carbon more efficiently and for longer periods than surface vegetation.

4. Mushroom Cultivation and Carbon Storage:
- How it works: Some mushrooms, such as certain wood-decaying species, have been found to contribute to carbon sequestration by breaking down organic material like wood and storing carbon in their biomass and in the soil.
- Potential: Certain mushroom species can accumulate carbon at a much faster rate than traditional plants. For example, some fungi can break down lignin and other complex organic molecules more efficiently, resulting in long-term carbon sequestration.

5. Subterranean Mushroom Caverns:
- How they work: In some ecosystems, particularly old-growth forests, vast underground networks of fungi can form "cavern-like" systems. These caverns are essentially networks of fungal hyphae and mycelium that spread through the soil, promoting the deep storage of carbon.
- Potential: The efficiency of these underground fungal networks at sequestering carbon is still being studied, but they may play a more significant role in the carbon cycle than previously understood. The fungal systems promote stable soil organic matter and create microenvironments where carbon is less likely to be re-released into the atmosphere.

6. Fungi and Soil Health:
- How they help: Fungi improve soil structure, which is crucial for long-term carbon storage. By breaking down organic material and interacting with plant roots, fungi enhance soil’s ability to retain carbon. They also help reduce the amount of carbon released back into the atmosphere by decomposing organic matter more slowly and in a more stable form.

Key Challenges and Considerations:
- Scalability: While fungi are efficient carbon sequesters in certain ecosystems, scaling fungal solutions to a global level is challenging. We would need to restore large areas of land and ensure that fungal ecosystems are not disrupted by human activity or environmental changes.
- Ecosystem impact: Any large-scale manipulation of fungal networks would need to be carefully studied to avoid disrupting existing ecosystems. Fungi are highly interconnected with plant and soil health, and altering fungal ecosystems could have unintended consequences.

Conclusion:
Fungi, especially mycorrhizal networks and underground mycelial systems, are an emerging area of interest in carbon sequestration. While they don't form literal "caverns" in the traditional sense, their extensive underground networks act as critical systems for long-term carbon storage. Fungi's ability to stabilize carbon in soil and prevent its release back into the atmosphere makes them an essential component of natural carbon sequestration strategies.

Research into fungal networks is still in its early stages, but they hold significant promise as a natural, efficient, and potentially scalable method for carbon sequestration.
 
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MatureDJ

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Hi BackInTheGame,
Just to cheer you up,in Southern Australia we are experiencing the coldest Spring Days ever recorded.
I've noticed in the American South that late Spring is milder while early Autumn is now brutal. September football is now brutal.
 
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