Thread: Gore warns Congress of impending 'planetary emergency'
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Old 03-21-2007, 07:01 PM   #2 (permalink)
baloney_detector
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Regarding Al Gore's meeting today with congress:

Rep. Joe Barton stated, “I have an article from Science magazine which I will put into the record at the appropriate time that explains that historically, a rise in CO2 concentrations did not precede a rise in temperatures, but actually lagged temperature by 200 to 1,000 years. CO2 levels went up after the temperature rose. The temperature appears to drive CO2, not vice versa. On this point, Mr. Vice President, you’re not just off a little. You’re totally wrong."

(Source: Office of Congressman :: Joe Barton)

Actually, what I believe Joe Barton seems to be implying here is what is wrong.

While Joe Barton might be correct to say that CO2 concentration changes have been shown to lag behind temperature changes by some period of time in the historical data that he points to, he is absolutely wrong to imply that temperature changes couldn’t lag behind (or be caused by) CO2 concentration changes over a period of time.

To imply such a conclusion, in my mind, reflects ignorance towards the well-established observation that CO2 acts as a greenhouse gas.