Yesterday I posted about Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX), the current ranking Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and his introduction to plate tectonics. During the Committee’s hearings on a global warming bill, Rep. Barton expressed disbelief when Energy Secretary Steven Chu informed him that there are continental plates on which landmasses travel around the globe.
I checked the congressman’s website, particularly about his positions on global warming and the environment, and learned that Barton has posted some facts taken from the journal Science and other respected sources to downplay the harmful effects of carbon dioxide in global warming. Rep. Barton’s argument seems to be that carbon dioxide makes up less than one percent of the total composition of the atmosphere, so global warming must not really be a problem. Thus, again it seems that Barton is attempting to use science without understanding it to prevent progress on combating global warming.
On his website, Barton says:
Relevant Facts to Put the Theory of Manmade Global Warming Into Perspective:
1) The air we breathe is composed almost entirely (99.88%) of Nitrogen (N2), Oxygen (O2), and Argon (Ar). Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and other variable gases including water vapor (H2O and clouds), Ozone (O3), and other trace gases make up the remainder.
…
3) As a percentage of the total atmosphere, carbon dioxide represents only 0.0386% [ii]. The entire increase in CO2 since before the industrial revolution represents only .0091% of the total atmosphere. Not very much, is it? Laid out on a 100 yard football field, this would equal a distance of less than 3/8 of an inch. It is also important to remember that CO2 is not a pollutant; it is an indispensable part of life. Your body creates and emits CO2 every time you take a breath.
Rep. Barton is focusing on the small percentage and is arguing essentially that because the number is small what that number represents can’t be important. By focusing on the number itself, Barton is ignoring the number’s context. The atmosphere is a complex system that has developed in its current composition. By altering the amount of one of the components, the delicate system can be thrown out of whack, which is exactly what is happening due to the increase in man-made carbon dioxide levels.
Let’s look at some other areas where the actual number, in and of itself is small, but where adjusting that number can have dramatic effects. First, think of carbon monoxide. It naturally occurs in the atmosphere, too, albeit in only trace amounts. Yet, when carbon monoxide builds up in a home or other confined space, it can actually kill people. What starts out small and inconsequential becomes very serious when the amounts in the system are changed.
Another example is iron. The human body consists of about one-tenth of an ounce of iron. That’s an exceedingly small amount—making up just 0.004 percent of our weight. Yet, that iron is essential to life. It’s how our bodies transport oxygen to our cells. Without it, we wouldn’t be alive. So, again, what starts out as small and inconsequential becomes very serious when we understand the system and how that system functions.
By posting about the small amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, Rep. Barton is attempting to obfuscate the issue of global warming. I certainly hope people will see through it.
