2021-03-17
"The Cyrus Fogg Brackett Professor Emeritus of Physics at Princeton University, Dr. Happer"
With a title like that we should expect something special, and I think that that is exactly what Dr Happer delivers in this excellent presentation.
And yes, this really is all about being green. But does CO2 lead to more green or less green?
He explains how the heating and cooling cycles (day and night) that envelop the earth work, how some of that heat is convected northwards and southwards towards the poles, what happens when CO2 and water (vapour and clouds) get in the way, and how changes to the level of CO2 actually in the atmosphere affect both plants and warmth.
This is a comprehensive but accessible deep dive into the salient workings of our planet, our plants, the effect of photorespiration, the historical record of CO2 levels, and what would happen if the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere were to change significantly. I think that the only item of major import not covered is probably the effect of circulating CO2 in the oceans, but as that seems to be a cycle that is measured in millions of years, we will let that pass on the grounds that it cannot merit urgent consideration.
