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There are many naturally occuring "greenhouse" gasses - without which life on this planet simply would not exist.... water being the most common.

Here is what is *known* about this (to the extent that I am familiar with). The so called "greenhouse effect" does in fact exist - without it, the Earth would be a floating scortched ice cube. Sunlight hits the surface of the planet, is absorbed by the surface, and is then radiated back out to space as infrared energy (heat). Greenhouse gasses are opaque to radiation in this wavelength - that is, these gasses absorb this radiation rather than letting it back out into space. This process raises the ambient temperature of said gas and consequently the entire atmosphere.

Example: ever been in the desert at night? Hot in the day, oh yeah, but because there is virtually no water in the air out there it gets cold at night. ("Pheonix is hot!" "Yeah, but it's a DRY heat...." )

Water is the main player.

So... let us please put to rest the debate over the existance of this mechanism.

Carbon dioxide is also a greenhouse gas - it is much more opaque to IR radiation than water. As I understand it, increased levels of C02 heat the atmosphere, allowing more water vapor to be held in the air, which further heats the atmosphere.... and a vicious cycle ensues. Atleast that is the theory (I think). Other gasses (methane, CFC's) also further excaerbate this imbalance and hasten the cycle.

Is it true? Dunno - but the base mechanism does exist, and it seems plausible. A raging forest fire can be started by one spark. It seems quite likely that a small increase in the level of greenhouse gas - of whatever type - could start a cycle of warming that would be quite difficult to stop.

Edit: I am not even going to try to correct my spelling errors. Engineers cant be concerned with spelling.

PS - I am a tyrant when it comes to recycling. I recycle everything. I'd recycle my piss if I could.

I do it because energy and raw materials are getting too expensive to squander. The race for materials and energy is going to define which countries maintain preeminance in the global economy - so, as a patriot I recycle.

Just like in WW2 when people had scrap and rubber drives.

It is also good for the environment. I'll take that as well, but that is not my primary motivator.

yeti wrote:PS - I am a tyrant when it comes to recycling. I recycle everything. I'd recycle my piss if I could.

I do it because energy and raw materials are getting too expensive to squander. The race for materials and energy is going to define which countries maintain preeminance in the global economy - so, as a patriot I recycle.

Just like in WW2 when people had scrap and rubber drives.

It is also good for the environment. I'll take that as well, but that is not my primary motivator.

I think you can recycle piss. Remember reading somewhere that there's a way to separate water from whatever else piss is made of. Probably don't want to drink it but you can wash your car with it.

well it is true there are filtration units that will suck the piss out of urine turning it into water.... atleast that is what they claim.

yeti wrote:well it is true there are filtration units that will suck the piss out of urine turning it into water.... atleast that is what they claim.

If I remember correctly from survival school, the desalination kits packed with the 7 and 20 man life rafts could do the job if needed.

Yeah they use osmosis to do the job. I never drank the result - I put swamp water in it and pulled that thru instead.

yeti wrote:PS - I am a tyrant when it comes to recycling. I recycle everything. I'd recycle my piss if I could.

I do it because energy and raw materials are getting too expensive to squander. The race for materials and energy is going to define which countries maintain preeminance in the global economy - so, as a patriot I recycle.

Just like in WW2 when people had scrap and rubber drives.

It is also good for the environment. I'll take that as well, but that is not my primary motivator.

recycling is totally useless unless you use the material. The mojority of our recycled goods go overseas or to some other land fill out of site.

Dr. NO wrote:

yeti wrote:PS - I am a tyrant when it comes to recycling. I recycle everything. I'd recycle my piss if I could.

I do it because energy and raw materials are getting too expensive to squander. The race for materials and energy is going to define which countries maintain preeminance in the global economy - so, as a patriot I recycle.

Just like in WW2 when people had scrap and rubber drives.

It is also good for the environment. I'll take that as well, but that is not my primary motivator.

recycling is totally useless unless you use the material. The mojority of our recycled goods go overseas or to some other land fill out of site.

Not any more, I think over 50% of plastic is now recycled thanks to Polortec fleece. I believe most aluminum is also re-cycled, I know 98% of car batteries are re-cycled. Any re-cycling is a good thing.

shortski wrote:
Not any more, I think over 50% of plastic is now recycled thanks to Polortec fleece. I believe most aluminum is also re-cycled, I know 98% of car batteries are re-cycled. Any re-cycling is a good thing.

Not to mention that most of XJibber's political posts are also recycled from elsewhere.

Regardless of where it is used, the recycled material reduces the amount of energy required to process it, which in turn reduces demand and energy costs.

However I do know that lots of the stuff is processed and used right here.