Thursday 31 May 2007

Crude - the Incredible Journey of Oil

This is the broadband edition of ABC Science (Australian Broadcasting Corporation, not American).

In the last 150 years we have released much of the ancient carbon from oil back into the atmosphere as CO2, driving the now familiar greenhouse effect. ...

Ironically, it seems that as we burn our way to the end of oil, the CO2 we're returning to the atmosphere could recreate the supergreenhouse conditions that would heat and poison the oceans, once again laying the condiitions for depositing oil.


Has the human race passed the point of no-return in switching on the condition for the supergreenhouse conditions?

Looking at this graph [from The Carbon Cycle], we may be dangerously close to the switch-ON point for anoxic event.

If you don't have time to watch all the main parts, watch at least the third part "Carbon in the world of dinosaurs", especially around 6 minutes from the program.

Cross-posted to Sustaining Future

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