New source of global warming gas found: plants

[aaron11]

LONDON (Reuters) - German scientists have discovered a new source of methane, a greenhouse gas that is second only to carbon dioxide in its impact on climate change.
The culprits are plants.

They produce about 10 to 30 percent of the annual methane found in the atmosphere, according to researchers at the Max-Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, Germany.

The scientists measured the amount of methane released by plants in controlled experiments. They found it increases with rising temperatures and exposure to sunlight.
"Significant methane emissions from both intact plants and detached leaves were observed ... in the laboratory and in the field," Dr Frank Keppler and his team said in a report in the journal Nature.

-Snip-
The scientists said their finding is important for understanding the link between global warming and a rise in greenhouse gases.

It could also have implications for the Kyoto Protocol, which calls for developed countries to cut their emissions of greenhouse gases by 5.2 percent below 1990 levels by 2008-12.

Keppler and his colleagues discovered that living plants emit 10 to 100 times more methane than dead plants.

But the study also poses questions, such as how such a potentially large source of methane could have been overlooked and how plants produced it.

-Snip-

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060111/sc_nm/environment_methane_dc

[Naturalized-Texan]

The problem with that article is that it perpetuates the myth that greenhouse gases are causing global warming. Global warming is nothing more than the natural recovery from the 500-year Little Ice Age that ended in the late 19th Century.

[aaron11]

Agreed NT, but wouldn't greenhouse gases play an important role in that recovery? As tempretures rise more land is expsosed and warmer conditions make for longer growing seasons, hence, more plant life.

Isn't the real issue over the role man is playing (Or more accurately NOT playing) in the natural cycle of global events.

[DesertFox]

This means that to defeat the greenhouse emissions of plants, we need to cut down all the Amazon forest.

[Naturalized-Texan]

Agreed NT, but wouldn't greenhouse gases play an important role in that recovery? As tempretures rise more land is expsosed and warmer conditions make for longer growing seasons, hence, more plant life.

Isn't the real issue over the role man is playing (Or more accurately NOT playing) in the natural cycle of global events.
The fact that humans have no role in global warming was the point of my post. In other words, greenhouse gases have no role no matter the source.

[Eagle1]

so first plants can save us from "global warming" and now they contribute to the "problem"????

wow, these nuts just cant seem to get their fabricated stories to jive together

[Naturalized-Texan]

This means that to defeat the greenhouse emissions of plants, we need to cut down all the Amazon forest.
A recent study has shown that the Amazon jungle and other old growth forests are net producers of CO2 because of all the decaying matter.

[Eagle1]

A recent study has shown that the Amazon jungle and other old growth forests are net producers of CO2 because of all the decaying matter.

not to mention all of those dark leaves attract the suns rays instead of reflect them.

Pave the rainforest!!!

[sunsettommy]

Agreed NT, but wouldn't greenhouse gases play an important role in that recovery? As tempretures rise more land is expsosed and warmer conditions make for longer growing seasons, hence, more plant life.

What you seem to describe is a run-away warming? A circle. So why has it NOT happened?

Too much evaporation?

Just like peak of the last Ice age.A circle

Canada was almost completely covered with glacial ice.With England and Iceland also nearly covered completely,along with a large section of eastern europe.With all that reflecting going on.

Why has it NOT happened?

Too many Mammoths farting?

Why has it never gone into a run-away situation and be either a ball of ice or ice free?


Isn't the real issue over the role man is playing (Or more accurately NOT playing) in the natural cycle of global events.

Mankind contributes negligible amounts of CO2 to the atmosphere,in comparison to what Earth contributes.Therefore we contribute next to nothing to the warm forcing.

Then even with all that increase of CO2.It is still a TRACE greenhouse gas.

[The_Sonarman]

The good news: The world has lost around 12% of its tropical rainforests in the last twelve years, which has slowed methane production by 6-20 million tons a year.

So don't forget: Come Arbor Day, chop down a tree to fight Global Warming!

[Maggie_T]

German scientists have discovered a new source of methane, a greenhouse gas that is second only to carbon dioxide in its impact on climate change.

The culprits are plants.

This means that to defeat the greenhouse emissions of plants, we need to cut down all the Amazon forest.--DesertFox


http://freeconservatives.com/smilies/doggie.gif

Oh, my! How lovely! Can you imagine the econazis' expression when they find out about this. And it comes from German scientists, so they couldn't be wrong.

Now, that's what I call poetic justice.

[aaron11]

This means that to defeat the greenhouse emissions of plants, we need to cut down all the Amazon forest.

Yes, As a lumberjack of seventeen plus years, I can assure you that I am doing my very best towards that end.

[Merlin]

Yes, As a lumberjack of seventeen plus years, I can assure you that I am doing my very best towards that end.

But Aaron, forest cover in the US has increased since you began your profession as a lumberjack! Our forests are getting bigger if government figures are to be believed:thumb:

[dPrasse]

A recent study has shown that the Amazon jungle and other old growth forests are net producers of CO2 because of all the decaying matter.

N-T , Ronald Reagan was grilled for making that comment 20 yrs ago ... and all the loonies thought he was scenile .... :hahaha: :hahaha:

Reagan was smarter and wiser , all by hiself , than all the loonies brains tied together ...
:whistle:

[Naturalized-Texan]

Yes, As a lumberjack of seventeen plus years, I can assure you that I am doing my very best towards that end.
But the trees you cut down are replaced by new-growth forests that are net consumers of CO2 and net producers of oxygen.