NASA: Dangerous greenhouse gas more common than previously thought.
By on Oct 23rd, 2008 at 3:14 pm
NASA: Dangerous greenhouse gas more common than previously thought.
In an upcoming issue of the journal Geophysical Research Letters, NASA reports that “new research indicates a powerful greenhouse gas might be at least four times more prevalent than has been thought.” The level of nitrogen trifluoride — which “is thousands of times more effective at warming the Earth’s atmosphere than an equal mass of carbon dioxide” — has increased by a rate of 11 percent per year. Previously, “emissions of nitrogen trifluoride were thought to be so low the gas has not been considered a significant potential contributor to global warming.”
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What is a source of “nitrogen trifluoride”?
October 23rd, 2008 at 3:20 pmLets not get carried away with another fear factor blurb. The report states that the FIRST measurement of this gas was in 2006. It goes on to say “Accurately measuring small amounts of nitrogen trifluoride in air has proven to be a very difficult experimental problem, and we are very pleased to have succeeded in this effort”. Shouldn’t this all be considered emerging science? It may well be something to be worried about, but how about toning it down a bit and letting them figure out what it all means first.
October 23rd, 2008 at 3:20 pmShut down Troll meth labs across the country, that oughta do it.
October 23rd, 2008 at 3:21 pmMugsy Says:
What is a source of “nitrogen trifluoride”?
October 23rd, 2008 at 3:20 pm
______
It’s a synthetic chemical used in the production of microchips.
While this is an interesting finding, we shouldn’t get too carried away about the results. Total global production of NF3 per year is 5,400 tons, versus total global production of CO2 which is 27 billion tons per year.
October 23rd, 2008 at 3:23 pmFrom what I can find, the primary application for nitrogen trifluoride is for etching silicon wafers and for LCD Panels.
So it appears to be an outgrowth of the technological revolution.
Damn, the luddites were right…
October 23rd, 2008 at 3:24 pmQuick@!@ Ban Computers!!
Wait..
October 23rd, 2008 at 3:30 pmI can hardly wait for the ministry of truth to issue a statement claiming that nitrogen trifluoride has always existed in these quantities and that it is completely natural.
October 23rd, 2008 at 3:34 pmNASA is anti-american.
October 23rd, 2008 at 3:35 pmWaltB Says:
It may well be something to be worried about, but how about toning it down a bit and letting them figure out what it all means first.
October 23rd, 2008 at 3:20 pm
_____
Agreed, but it’s still worthy of discussion. Yes, in terms of climage change it’s comparable to worrying about the greenhouse emissions of Lamborghini drivers, but when in the past 20 years there have been 5,000 tons released into the atmosphere of a gas whose worldwide production is only 4,000 tons a year, it brings up a lot of questions about the safety procedures employed by the companies using it. That’s a lot of toxin released into the atmosphere.
October 23rd, 2008 at 3:37 pmHow are you guys countering climate change deniers who admit that things are changing but deny that is because of the influence of things we are doing?
October 23rd, 2008 at 3:38 pmHow it will read when the spinmeisters of the whitehouse get a hold of it
“Dangerous NASA previously thought greenhouse gas more than common”
October 23rd, 2008 at 3:41 pmFred Says:
How are you guys countering climate change deniers who admit that things are changing but deny that is because of the influence of things we are doing?
October 23rd, 2008 at 3:38 pm
______
I send them to http://www.ipcc.ch or realclimate.org or other sites that explain the science. Unfortunately, most hard-core science deniers are just not able to be swayed by things like reason, logic, and facts.
October 23rd, 2008 at 3:43 pmMore from Wiki:
NF3 is a potent greenhouse gas, with a global warming potential (GWP) 17,200 times greater than that of CO2 when compared over a 100 year period.[5][6][7] Its GWP would place it second only to SF6 in the group of Kyoto-recognised greenhouse gases, although NF3 is not currently included in that grouping. It has an estimated atmospheric lifetime of 740 years,[5] although recent work suggests a slightly shorter lifetime of 550 years (and a corresponding GWP of 16,800).[8]
World production of NF3 is expected to reach 8,000 tons a year by 2010. It is not currently known how much is ultimately released into the atmosphere; estimates are either less or more than 2%, but there is not good independent data about releases, nor measurements of atmospheric concentration.[10][11]
Thank goodness the EPA will protect us!?
October 23rd, 2008 at 3:45 pmWhoa, whoa, WHOA!!!
Who was supposed to put pressure on NASA to redact that report!?
You’re fired!
October 23rd, 2008 at 3:49 pmA great scientific AND reasonable look at the human toll on the planet:
Plows, Plagues and Petroleum
A “real” eye-opener.
October 23rd, 2008 at 3:49 pmhussein toasterhead Says:
Thanks toasterhead. You are right about the die hards but I have a couple of youngsters who have seen the light about the republicans but for some reason don’t want to believe that we are contributing heavily to the climate change. They argue that it is cyclical……
both sites bookmarked and I will read them and share them with the youngters….
October 23rd, 2008 at 3:51 pmIt makes you wonder how many studies over the last 8 years were censored or subverted or killed all together by various Flat Earth Bush true believers throughout various government agencies. Bush’s war against science is a travesty that does not get enough attention.
October 23rd, 2008 at 4:04 pmThis is a good resource to countering deniers:
http://gristmill.grist.org/skeptics
October 23rd, 2008 at 4:09 pmsuperid Says:
Thanks, that’s a good one…..more ammo.
October 23rd, 2008 at 4:25 pmYou folks need to get out of your echo chamber more often. Go here and learn why there is significant dissension among scientists on the topic of global warming:
http://www.capmag.com/article.asp?ID=5270
Here’s a taste:
October 23rd, 2008 at 10:23 pm
Tim Vaculik Says:
YOU need to stop thinking like the brainwashed moron you are and let JUST a bit of reality into your cramped little world. Are you REALLY telling us that we should ignore the SCIENTISTS and the CLEAR scientific consensus and make our SCIENCE decision based on a biased article by CAPITALISM MAGAZINE? Please tell me that was a joke. The Senate ALSO doesnt do science and if those 400 scientists have anything of SUBSTANCE to say they can DO a study and get it peer reviewed THAT is how science is done. NOT writing opinion pieces for gullible idiots. Science is not DONE by swaying public opinion. Rent a clue
October 23rd, 2008 at 10:31 pm