FOLLOWING the release of the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report it is timely to remember how CO2 is changing Earth’s climate for the worse.
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Our atmosphere is comprised of very stable gases (oxygen, nitrogen) and small amounts of less stable gases (CO2, methane).
The sun heats our planet but some of this heat is reflected back into space where it collides with these molecules. If it hits an oxygen or nitrogen molecule nothing happens.
If it collides with CO2 or methane the energy is absorbed briefly by the molecule by knocking an electron into an outer higher energy orbit.
When the electron pops back into its original orbit it releases this energy in all directions, some of it returning to Earth.
The more CO2 or methane in our air, the more heat is radiated back to Earth and the more earth warms up.
Ninety-eight per cent of climate scientists support the evidence and the majority of Australians now accept it.
Yet the noisy minority of climate sceptics (8 per cent of Australians) will once again hoe in and argue about nonsense details while our planet slowly continues to become less habitable by man and beast.
Australia needs to discard its dependence on coal and embrace the great economic opportunities provided by renewable energy. The next generation of engineers and economists have done the sums and yes, we can do it, within 10 years.
Our climate scientists say it must be done now and ignoring their advice, Mr Abbott, is done at our peril.
— JOHN SALMON,
Wodonga