The Science of Doom

CO2 and its effect on climate

CO2 – An Insignificant Trace Gas? – Part One – introduces several very important concepts in climate. Blackbody radiation and how we can differentiate between energy from the sun and from the earth. What temperature the earth would be without any gases that absorb longwave radiation. And how we can separate out the effects of the different gases.

CO2 – An Insignificant Trace Gas? Part Two -looked at why different gases absorb different amounts of energy, why some gases absorb almost no longwave radiation, and what factors affect the relative importance of water vapor, CO2 and methane.

CO2 – An Insignificant Trace Gas? Part Three -introduced the Beer Lambert model of absorption. along with the very important concept of re-emission of radiation as the atmosphere warms up.

CO2 – An Insignificant Trace Gas? Part Four – explained band models and showed how transmittance (the opposite of absorptance) of CO2 changes as the amount of CO2 increases under “weak” and “strong” conditions.

CO2 – An Insignificant Trace Gas? Part Five – two results from solving the 1-d equations – and how CO2 compares to water vapor.

CO2 – An Insignificant Trace Gas? Part Six – Visualization -what does the downwards longwave radiation look like at the earth’s surface. Is this the “greenhouse” effect?

CO2 – An Insignificant Trace Gas? Part Seven – The Boring Numbers – the values of “radiative forcing” from CO2 for current levels and doubling of CO2. What “radiative forcing” actually is. And where that log relationship comes from that the IPCC quotes.

CO2 – An Insignificant Trace Gas? – Part Eight – Saturation – explaining “saturation” in more detail

CO2 Can’t have that Effect Because.. – common “problems” or responses to the theory and evidence presented

The Hoover Incident – what the earth’s climate might be like if all of the gases like CO2 and water vapor were “hoovered up” so that the atmosphere didn’t absorb or emit any radiation

CO2 Lags Temperature in the Ice-Core Record. Doesn’t that prove the IPCC wrong? – a quick summary of a commonly misunderstood subject, especially as it had an important role in the John Coleman report.