Raider of the lost time
Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 6,329
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09-19-2007, 04:44 PM
| | double trouble Both carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) are two major components that are among the suspected culprits of greenhouse effect causing global warming. As evident by their chemistry, their reinforcement makes their resolution twice harder and in fact made them almost invincible. Any chemical reaction of one is the production of the other, vice versa. This double jeopardy presents the physical environmentalists with a tremendous challenge requiring complete understanding of physics, chemistry, biology, and their interactions. Metaphorically, if CO2 is the pride then CH4 is the prejudice and according to Jane Austen only true love can conquer both maladies. Mathematically, the 2D structure of CH4 is a cross or a plus (+) and CO2 is a dash or minus (-) such that one adds the other subtracts. To eliminate them is simply to make sure that both amounts are equal. Electrically, CO2 is negatively charged while CH4 is positively charged and combination of equal amount is electrically neutral. Therefore it is not necessary to completely eliminate one or the other but simply to make them equal. At present, studies show that the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere is 370 ppmv (parts per million by volume) see http://www.grida.no/climate/vital/07.htm. On the other hand, the amount of CH4 in the atmosphere is only 2 ppmv which is roughly 220 times less. To make them equal can be done by either increasing CH4 from 2 to 370 ppmv or decreasing CO2 from 370 to 2 ppmv whichever is the easier.
__________________ Time independence: [∂E(g)]²=[∂F(a)×∂r(a)]·[∂F(b)×∂r(b)] and Mass independence: ¶a(t)·¶r(t)=c² | |
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