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Surprise, Surprise! Ag accused of destroying ozone layer

Cal

Well-known member
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/6099492/Laughing-gas-is-biggest-threat-to-ozone.html

Laughing gas is biggest threat to ozone
It's no joke - laughing gas is now the biggest threat to the Earth's ozone layer, scientists have said.

Published: 7:00PM BST 27 Aug 2009

Nitrous oxide, better known as the dental anaesthetic "laughing gas", has replaced CFCs as the most potent destroyer of ozone in the upper atmosphere, a study has shown.

Unlike CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons), once extensively used in refrigerators, emissions of the gas are not limited by any international agreement.

Ozone hole over Antarctica covered area size of North America"The dramatic reduction in CFCs over the last 20 years is an environmental success story," said Dr Akkihebbal Ravishankara, who led the US research. "But man-made nitrous oxide is now the elephant in the room among ozone-depleting substances."

The ozone layer shields plants, animals and people from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation from the Sun.

Thinning of the ozone layer can result in damage to crops and aquatic life, and expose humans to a greater risk of skin cancer.

Under the 1987 Montreal Protocol action was taken to phase out ozone-destroying man-made chemicals such as CFCs.

But the treaty did not cover nitrous oxide, which is generated by fertilisers in the soil, livestock manure, sewage treatment, combustion and industry.

Human activities account for about one third of global nitrous oxide emissions. The gas is also produced naturally when bacteria in the soil and oceans break down nitrogen-containing compounds.

Dr Ravishankara's team from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) calculated the "ozone depletion potential" (ODP) of nitrous oxide and found that it was similar to many CFCs.

Writing in the journal Science, the researchers warned that if nothing was done the gas would remain the biggest ozone-depleter throughout the rest of this century.

Curbing nitrous oxide emissions would enhance the ozone layer's recovery.

Since nitrous oxide was also a greenhouse gas, this would represent a "win-win" for both the ozone layer and the Earth's climate, said the scientists.
 

badaxemoo

Well-known member
Is South Dakota some magical fantasyland where agriculture does not have any sort of impact on the environment?

I swear, if some of you had been alive in the 1930s, you would have been complaining that the Soil Erosion Service was making erroneous claims that moldboard plowing up and down the hillsides was causing erosion.
 

Cal

Well-known member
Is driftless Wisconsin some sort of liberal Mecca where folks get their undies in a wad believing every government doom and gloom report being issued, and used as a tool to secure more grant money?

Did you believe the reports in the 70s predicting that we were entering another ice age?
 

badaxemoo

Well-known member
Cal said:
Is driftless Wisconsin some sort of liberal Mecca where folks get their undies in a wad believing every government doom and gloom report being issued, and used as a tool to secure more grant money?

Did you believe the reports in the 70s predicting that we were entering another ice age?

Actually it is a bit of a liberal mecca. More organic farms in my county than anywhere other county in the nation.

And yes, educated liberals that we are, we are fairly familiar scientific method and probably tend to believe the consensus of climatologists who believe global warming has a significant human component.

Looks like you could use a little scientific literacy. I'll give you this free of charge:

http://climateprogress.org/2008/02/22/another-denier-talking-point-global-cooling-bites-the-dust/
 

Cal

Well-known member
badaxemoo said:
Cal said:
Is driftless Wisconsin some sort of liberal Mecca where folks get their undies in a wad believing every government doom and gloom report being issued, and used as a tool to secure more grant money?

Did you believe the reports in the 70s predicting that we were entering another ice age?

Actually it is a bit of a liberal mecca. More organic farms in my county than anywhere other county in the nation.

And yes, educated liberals that we are, we are fairly familiar scientific method and probably tend to believe the consensus of climatologists who believe global warming has a significant human component.

Looks like you could use a little scientific literacy. I'll give you this free of charge:

http://climateprogress.org/2008/02/22/another-denier-talking-point-global-cooling-bites-the-dust/

Oh dear, all of your manure creating nitrous oxide.

This free of charge to you as well; http://scienceandpublicpolicy.org/
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
Do the moonbats realize that before cattle were in the country destroying the environment by farting/ belching/ crapping there were bison here farting / belching / crapping?

And these people are "EDUCATED liberals"? :roll:
 

badaxemoo

Well-known member
Cal said:
badaxemoo said:
Cal said:
Is driftless Wisconsin some sort of liberal Mecca where folks get their undies in a wad believing every government doom and gloom report being issued, and used as a tool to secure more grant money?

Did you believe the reports in the 70s predicting that we were entering another ice age?

Actually it is a bit of a liberal mecca. More organic farms in my county than anywhere other county in the nation.

And yes, educated liberals that we are, we are fairly familiar scientific method and probably tend to believe the consensus of climatologists who believe global warming has a significant human component.

Looks like you could use a little scientific literacy. I'll give you this free of charge:

http://climateprogress.org/2008/02/22/another-denier-talking-point-global-cooling-bites-the-dust/

Oh dear, all of your manure creating nitrous oxide.

This free of charge to you as well; http://scienceandpublicpolicy.org/

Corporate-backed pseudo-science:

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Science_and_Public_Policy_Institute

Now go find a reliable accredited public university that backs their spurious claims.
 

badaxemoo

Well-known member
Sandhusker said:
Do the moonbats realize that before cattle were in the country destroying the environment by farting/ belching/ crapping there were bison here farting / belching / crapping?

And these people are "EDUCATED liberals"? :roll:

I think there are quite a few more cattle in the U.S. today than the historic highs for the bison herd.

But don't let numbers stop you.
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
badaxemoo said:
Sandhusker said:
Do the moonbats realize that before cattle were in the country destroying the environment by farting/ belching/ crapping there were bison here farting / belching / crapping?

And these people are "EDUCATED liberals"? :roll:

I think there are quite a few more cattle in the U.S. today than the historic highs for the bison herd.

But don't let numbers stop you.

70 Million bison vs 90 million bovines - and half the bison were bulls that were another third larger than our cows.

I think there were quite a few more farting/belching/crapping deer, elk, antelope, wolves, bears, sheep, etc.... then, too. But hey, the liberal perspective is much better presented using only selected numbers.
 

Cal

Well-known member
badaxemoo said:
Cal said:
badaxemoo said:
Actually it is a bit of a liberal mecca. More organic farms in my county than anywhere other county in the nation.

And yes, educated liberals that we are, we are fairly familiar scientific method and probably tend to believe the consensus of climatologists who believe global warming has a significant human component.

Looks like you could use a little scientific literacy. I'll give you this free of charge:

http://climateprogress.org/2008/02/22/another-denier-talking-point-global-cooling-bites-the-dust/

Oh dear, all of your manure creating nitrous oxide.

This free of charge to you as well; http://scienceandpublicpolicy.org/

Corporate-backed pseudo-science:

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Science_and_Public_Policy_Institute

Now go find a reliable accredited public university that backs their spurious claims.
You're being creative. Your source says nothing of the sort. It actually uses this quote:
"a nonprofit institute of research and education dedicated to sound public policy based on sound science." It also proclaims that it is "free from affiliation to any corporation or political party, we support the advancement of sensible public policies for energy and the environment rooted in rational science and economics. Only through science and factual information, separating reality from rhetoric, can legislators develop beneficial policies without unintended consequences that might threaten the life, liberty, and prosperity of the citizenry."[2]
 

Cal

Well-known member
I'll be damn.....climate progress, or climateprogress.org doesn't have any matches in the science and public policy site:???:
 
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