AboutRalph Salier Expertise Archaeologist for the last 30 years. Norh American generalist and Hopwell culture/Red Ocher culture specifically. Lithics Expert and Ground Stone tools.
Experience
Past/Present clients Numerous museums in US and Canada. Several University Anthropology Departments.
Question What role dose carbon dioxide play in climactic changes?
Please try to answer quickly its really important.
Sorry to bother you.
Answer Hi Eva,
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is considered a "green house gas". This means that it does not allow heat from the sun absorbed into the atmosphere to escape, at least not easily. This would generally not be a problem for the Earth as a system, but because of deforestation, and the growing amount of CO2 we are dumping into the atmosphere, the plant life of the Earth can not absorb enough of it so it is causing the temperatures to rise.
The primary issue is that we are using fossil fuels like Oil and Coal. These were deposited millions of years ago and effectively "sequestered" the CO2 that was in that ancient atmosphere and provided much of the Oxygen we have today. As we burn this stuff, we are taking it out of sequestration and it acts as a pollutant. Now if we can find ways to "sequester" the CO2 we are producing today, then we may be able to avert global warming. This can be done by using the CO2 to grow algae which can then be used as food for animals. It can be mineralized and pumped back into the ground in the form of Sodium Bicarbonate. Or it can be used to help reforested areas to grow with greater vigor. There are lots of ideas and many are being tested today. I like t he idea of turning it into animal food.
I hope I answered your question to your needs. If not, please ask a followup.
