This morning on CNBC Steve Forbes was asked his opinion on global warming. He replied that a volcano emits more co2 in one eruption than years of human activity. And in the background someone was heard to say "Yeah that's right" or something like that, in agreement. I decided to Google it and this is what I found. "Scientists have calculated that volcanoes emit between about 130-230 million tonnes (145-255 million tons) of CO2 into the atmosphere every year (Gerlach, 1999, 1992). This estimate includes both subaerial and submarine volcanoes, about in equal amounts. Emissions of CO2 by human activities, including fossil fuel burning, cement production, and gas flaring, amount to about 22 billion tonnes per year (24 billion tons) [ ( Marland, et al., 1998) - The reference gives the amount of released carbon (C), rather than CO2.]. Human activities release more than 150 times the amount of CO2 emitted by volcanoes--the equivalent of nearly 17,000 additional volcanoes like Kilauea (Kilauea emits about 13.2 million tonnes/year)! There were more sources that said the same So is this just another case of convenient ignorance or could Forbes and GE/CNBC have some vested interests possibly effected by co2 controls. Or did Steve just fail science in school?
this shld be widely broadcast in a 'best of' / 'idiot of the day' etc... any good website, portal, publication anybody cld think of?
Although I think some of the science that "proves" global warming is caused by man is suspect at best, Mr Forbes has been mis-informed. Volcanic eruptions actually lead to global cooling. Eruptions spew much more particulate matter than CO2, which has a cooling effect on the atmosphere. Google "Volcanic erputions". It's one thing to have an opposing view regarding GW, its quite another to distort science, which is exactly what's happening with some of those who think GW is a slam dunk.
Or read about the "year without a summer" in 1816 caused by the largest volcanic eruption in recorded history, Mt. Tambora. DS