Part 4: Methane science
Professor Kauffman then looked at the
science: ‘The greenhouse gas theory says
that emission of infrared radiation from the
Earth is absorbed by certain gases in the
atmosphere, which heats them up. For this to
happen, the wavelengths emitted by the Earth, a
broad swath peaking at 20 microns (µ) can only
be absorbed by a gas with an absorption peak
near 20 µ (from 10-30 µ). Here the champion
absorber is water vapor. A minor absorption
peak of carbon dioxide at 13 µ absorbs, but its
major peak at 4 µ does not. The major peak of
methane at 3 µ (3000 cm-1) is too far away from
Earth’s emission to matter, but its
smaller absorption at 8 µ (1300 cm –1)
might absorb a little.[16]
‘How much might this matter? In
Figure 7 of the review (Figure 1 above),
“Climate Change Reexamined”[17]
you may see an infrared spectrum of humid air.
Look near 3 µ or 3000 cm-1 for the major
infrared peak of methane. Do you see any of it?
There is none. This means that at its level of
only 1.8 ppm in air, methane is not a
significant absorber. This means it cannot be
an active “greenhouse gas”.
‘This is good science.’
Conclusion
So, now we know that like CO2,methane is not
a major threat to either the planet or to the
life on it. And as cattle and other livestock
fertilise and improve the health and quality of
the soil on which we all depend for the food
that sustains us, perhaps we should think about
eating more meat rather than less.
And while we are doing that, as there is no
point in wasting what is a very useful source
of cheap energy, we could collect methane from
cowsheds and from waste dumps. That way, small
local methane power plants could easily supply
local power needs, and the very heavy cost of
power stations could be reduced.
References
[1] IPCC. Climate Change 2007: The
Physical Science Basis Summary for
Policymakers. Geneva, Switzerland: IPCC
Secretariat, 2007.
[2]
http://www.nzclimatescience.net/images/PDFs/ccr.pdf
[3]
http://www.epa.gov/methane/scientific.html
[4] Climate expert urges radical shift in
diet. The Observer, Sunday 7 September
2008
[5] Groves, Barry. Trick and Treat: How
‘healthy eating’ is making us
ill. London: Hammersmith Press, 2008.
[6]
http://energy.usgs.gov/factsheets/Coalbed/globe.html
[7]
http://www.imakemygas.com/immg_hydrogen_alcohol_google_3.htm?gclid=COnQkuOmqpgCFQrFGgodwnf7mQ
[8]
http://www.blogs.nature.com/news/thegreatbeyond/2008/04/gloomy_emissions_data_shows_me.html
[9]
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2008/methane-tt1029.html
[10]
http://www/america.gov/st/washfile-english/2007/August/200708231527341cnirellep0.9353449.html
[11]
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7827106.stm
[12]
http://marine.usgs.gov/fact-sheets/gas-hydrates/title.html
[13]
http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/topstory/20020103greenhouse.html
[14]
http://chriscolose.wordpress.com/2008/11/10/methane-and-co2/
[15]
http://www.geocraft.com/WVFossils/greenhouse_data.html
[16]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methane_(data_page)
[17]
http://www.nzclimatescience.net/images/PDFs/ccr.pdf
Part 1:
Introduction | Part
2:The IPCC’s Argument | Part 3: Methane chaos
| Part 4 Conclusion and references
|
