| Annoyingly Unmeasurable Feedback Effects |
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Water vapor - Water vapor contributes the most to the greenhouse effect and occurs in the atmosphere as a result of the natural cycle of water. Despite being officially 'little understood', climate models assume that as surface temperatures rise, increased water vapour in the atmosphere traps more heat, thus multiplying the otherwise trivial effects of CO2. The alternative role of water vapour forming clouds and rain and thus 'dampening' temperature change is ignored. Carbon dioxide (CO2) - Carbon dioxide also cycles naturally between the atmosphere and living organisms. Plants and algae remove CO2 from the atmosphere via photosynthesis, while all living things release CO2 via respiration (i.e., breathing). Carbon dioxide also cycles back and forth between water on the Earth's surface (freshwater and the oceans) and the atmosphere. In addition to these natural processes, humans release large quantities of CO2to the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and other industrial processes. Methane (CH4) - Methane is a natural byproduct of decomposition, but significant quantities are also produced via agriculture and animal husbandry as well as by fossil fuel production. Nitrous oxide (N2O) - Nitrous oxide is released naturally from terrestrial soils and oceans, but substantial quantities are also generated from the use of nitrogen fertilizers in agriculture and through some industrial processes. Source: Pew Centre for Climate Change See 'Historical Levels of CO2' for explanation of another IPCC trick |
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