Biospheric off topic stuff

[C M Smith <cmsmith@domain.elided>]

Er, the system most obviously responsible for recycling H and O as well as 
C is the biosphere. It is generally believed by all but the Velikovsky 
types that petroleum, and indeed all subsurface hydrocarbons, result from 
decomposition of organisms in the distant past. The chemical compounds are, 
however, of biological origin. Plants specifically are the organisms that 
convert things like water, CO2, and Nitrogen into useful stuff called food.

I think Fred was referring to the water cycle which distillation emulates 
and he is therefore correct, within reason. Having said that there is no 
doubt that water is being destroyed and created all around us all of the 
time. Heck, even the human digestive system can do that trick.

The automotive related aspect of this is to recall that so called fossil 
fuels (a misnomer that, as no fossilization occurs) are of biological 
origin. It is difficult to accept that returning these hydrocarbons to the 
biosphere can be inherently wrong or dangerous as the current global 
warming hysteria would indicate. It is important to slow down our 
consumption of these substances but only because they take so darned long 
to replace, not because the release of them into the biosphere could really 
be that harmful. Drive as fuel efficient a vehicle as you can most of the 
time, and roll out that gas guzzling dream car when the need is there, as 
in withdrawal is setting in. Support your local congressman's efforts (yeah 
right!) to reign in the SUV gas guzzling whenever you can.

The world was once a much warmer place, and indeed much colder also, many 
times in the past. The most recent patch of global warming was during the 
age of Viking exploration around 900 to 1300 AD. It got warm enough to grow 
grain in Greenland. Probably there was a bit more liquid water around at 
that time, suited the Vikings to a tea. And no one was burning much in the 
way of fossil fuels at the time, a bit of peat, a bit of coal and perhaps a 
little petroleum in say Baku?

Cheers

and deliriously off topic, but I was provoked by others.



Michael Smith
White 1991 164L
Original owner
--
to be removed from alfa, see /bin/digest-subs.cgi
or email "unsubscribe alfa" to majordomo@domain.elided