I

t is another piece of propaganda from Viv Forbes, (“Carbon pollution?” The Jakarta Post, July 21, p. 8). I fully expect that every letter published by Forbes is remunerated.

I have previously pointed out that Viv Forbes is a coal lobbyist (see http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/11/30/boycott-cancun-climate-circus.html).

The top search for Viv Forbes is the Australian Climate Science Coalition, which by its very name should tell you that there is no science and no information other than denial about climate change.

In fact, the sourewatch entry for this is:

“The Australian Climate Science Coalition (ACSC) is a climate change skeptics website created by the the Australian Environment Foundation [AEF], a spin-off group created by the the corporate-funded think tank, the Institute of Public Affairs.”

The IPA is a right-wing “think tank” that created the environmental group AEF (which was publicly and embarrassingly exposed as a fraud). Its members consist of well-known contrarians.

As to the statements above, first, “Carbon dioxide is harmless”. I invite Forbes to indulge us with an experiment involving a sealed room and a CO2 fire extinguisher — he can post it on YouTube. Please.

Second, “Current levels at about 390 parts per million are close to the lowest ever seen on earth.” This is stock-standard denial. Yes, 3-4 billion years ago when there was no complex life on the Earth’s surface, CO2 levels were higher. But for the last million years relevant to our experience and current ecosystems, the level has never, ever gone above ~250 ppm. So, current levels are already very high.

Third, “Carbon dioxide exists as a mere trace in our atmosphere.” Again this is typical misdirection and very bad logic. Alcohol at 0.05 percent in your blood stream is a “mere trace” yet this is the Australian legal limit for driving a car.

It is the effect that is important, not how “large” or “small” you subjectively judge the amount to be. So much for Forbes being a scientific advisor. How about some cyanide?

Fourth, “it also dissolves in lakes and oceans and combines with calcium to form the skeletons of coral reefs, sea shells ...” Forbes is a bit behind the times. When CO2 dissolves in water it decreases the PH. This means the water becomes more acidic — like Soda Water. Now place a tooth in that and see what happens in a week. Ah! It dissolves!

At a global scale this is called oceanic acidification. It is happening now and has been measured.

Fifth, CO2 is plant food. It is until it gets too hot and the plant dies. It doesn’t help that high CO2 concentrations can also make plant’s stoma (the little “breathing” holes on the leaves) close, thus limiting transpiration (ie water evaporation). And, without transpiration, guess what? Oh yeah, plants don’t grow.

There is nothing unusual about Viv Forbes’ comments.

John
Makassar