CO2 Source and Sink

As noted recently and consistently, the case for action on climate change depends on several unproven assumptions. Two of the most crucial are that warming is caused by man-made CO₂ emissions, for which the industrialized world largely is responsible. (I note that although China now is the largest greenhouse gas emitter, most of the developing world still want wealthier nations to pay for carbon reduction.)

Were the developed world-created greenhouse gas model true, one would expect the West to be net CO₂ emitters, and the lesser developed world to be net CO₂ absorbers. Oops:

The results from from Japan’s Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) show that Industrialized nations appear to be absorbing the carbon dioxide emissions from the Third World. (Can we get carbon credits for that?) The satellite shows that levels of CO2 are typically lower in developed countries than in air over developing countries.



source: JAXA

There are similar results for methane emissions. And a U.S. satellite measured similar global average emissions and sinks between 2001 and 2009 (though claiming not to count "fossil fuel emissions").

Chiefio (E.M Smith) says:

This isn’t that much of a surprise to me. I’d figured out some time ago that trees and bamboo could consume far more CO2 than I "produce" via burning oil and gas. I’ve also pointed out that The West is largely letting trees grow, while mowing our lawns and having the clippings "sequestered" in land fills (along with an untold tonnage of phone books and junk mail. . .) while the 3rd world is busy burning and cutting down their forests. The simple fact is that "jungle rot" will beat out my "gallon a day" of Diesel any time. Basically, we in the west grow far more wheat, corn, soybeans, wood, lawns, shrubs, etc. than we burn oil. In the 3rd world, they burn their sequestering plants. (And it takes one heck of a lot more wood to cook a meal than it does coal via a highly efficient furnace / electric generator / microwave oven.) But it’s nice to see it documented in aggregate in the "facts in the air".

Chiefio also has created a neat animated GIF of global emissions between 2009 and early 2011.

As Dr. Tim Ball concludes,

The oceans are the main control of atmospheric CO2 as one of the atmospheric gases in constant flux between the water and the atmosphere. The ocean’s ability to absorb CO2 is a function of its temperature -- cold water absorbs more CO2 than warm water. The boundary between the warm polar water and warm tropical water is very clearly defined in most parts of the world and the map generally reflects this pattern. The map is only surprising if you believe that humans are the primary source of CO2.

Man-made emissions are dwarfed by natural atmospheric carbon in influencing planetary temperatures. The sound you hear is the man-made greenhouse gas balloon deflating.