Political & socio-economic nerd-rage thread. page 27

[drssgchic]

As the german-american population has shrunk, the method has become less effective

As a customer-service person, I beg to differ. Thought is not used when hysteria or aggression can be used instead.

[Uncephalized]

As the german-american population has shrunk, the method has become less effective

Why would it be less effective? Because the kids come from different social backgrounds that approve of different (less conformist) attitudes and values? I don't think Germans are genetically more inclined to obey lol.

[Grok]

As the german-american population has shrunk, the method has become less effective

racist

[justyouraveragecavemen]

Trees release carbon? Where have I been?

[drssgchic]

I think I mentioned this around here before- but Ghengis Khan was determined to be the greenest conquerer ever. He killed enough people to almost reforest Europe given that the now empty towns weren't cutting down the trees.

Trees sequester carbon to use as building blocks. They also respire out 90% of the water they take up in their roots. Did you know that one of the problems they're having in South America is that so many coastal trees have been cut down that there aren't enough to respire the water back out to then go further inland. So the inland forests are drying out.

One of the things I want to do with my land is dig holes (helps the water stay and soak in instead of running off the surface) and plant trees. Sadly, that won't pay the mortgage Even if it is good for the Earth.

[kenn]

You believe the carbon crap?

[Uncephalized]

Trees release carbon? Where have I been?

Yep, trees sequester carbon only if they are growing and increasing in mass. Otherwise they are carbon neutral until they die (they take in enough carbon to produce the sugars and other organic compounds needed to sustain their life, and release the same amount through metabolism) at which point they release their carbon if they rot. If they are buried before rotting, they sequester the carbon in the earth and may eventually become coal or some such. So the only carbon-negative tree is one that gets buried under sediment, if you look at the whole lifecycle. But a healthy forest as a whole contains a massive amount of stored carbon, which would otherwise be circulating in the atmosphere.

[kenn]

Good thing carbon is irrelevant

[drssgchic]

Good thing carbon is irrelevant

Yep. Good thing.



*headdesk*

[js290]

I do not believe that it is THE single factor, but a small part of this can of worms. It is still something that needs to be included in the whole picture. I do wonder how much carbon a 4,000 year old tree does have though.

If there was only one single factor, it would have to be the energy output of the Sun is not constant (solar flares, sun spots, etc). If there was a second factor after the Sun, it would be that the Earth's orbit around the Sun varies. CO2 is less than 0.04% of all the gases in our atmosphere. Nitrogen is 78% and oxygen is about 21%. Blaming climate change on CO2 sounds like something a politician would dream up.