[Peakoil] [Fwd: Re: fossil fuels and temperature rise]

[Alex Pollard]

---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: Re: [Peakoil-announce] fossil fuels and temperature rise
From:    "Keith Thomas" <keith at evfit.com>
Date:    Thu, December 2, 2010 05:03
To:      karin at doctordemocracy.net
Cc:      peakoil-announce at act-peakoil.org
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Although methane is less-enduring than carbon dioxide, at the end of its
"life" in the atmosphere, it breaks down into CO2 + H2O which means that,
in effect, its "life" for global warming purposes does not end with its
breakdown. This simple chemical fact is often overlooked.
-----------------------------
Keith Thomas
www.evfit.com
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On 01/12/2010, at 5:04 PM, karin at doctordemocracy.net wrote:

Don't get too excited about statements limiting the total amount of
temperature rise that fossil fuels can generate.

Much of the temperature rise will come from clathrates in the oceans and
melting permafrost. They both contain methane, which is a much more
(although less enduring) greenhouse gas.

I've just finished Fred Pearce's The Last Generation, which describes
these processes in good accessible language. It was written in 2006, and
many of his more dire concerns have since become science news.

Dr Karin Geiselhart