EarthSky // Interviews // Earth By Lindsay Patterson Nov 11, 2008

Jon Ranson calculates Earth’s carbon budget in a warmer world

Jon Ranson talks about studying vegetation via satellite, and how carbon relates to climate change, in this 8-minute *EarthSky Clear Voices for Science* podcast.

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‘We know that right now, we cannot balance the carbon budget of the Earth.’
- Jon Ranson

Jon Ranson of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center uses NASA’s Terra satellite to study changes in vegetation. Dr. Ranson spoke with EarthSky about Earth’s carbon cycle – which describes the way that carbon, a building block for life, moves from our planet’s atmosphere, land, and oceans into living beings and back again. Disruptions to the carbon cycle are what’s causing global warming in this century.

Our thanks to NASA‘s Terra Mission, helping us better understand and protect our home planet.

Our thanks to:
Jon Ranson
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland

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10 Responses to Jon Ranson calculates Earth’s carbon budget in a warmer world

  1. Mike says:

    Just listened to Jon Ranson’s 8 minutes on carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. I’m not so sure about this global warming. Man has cut down the lungs of the earth; i.e. rain forests without replacing the trees to the extent that the last rain forests are having difficulty making oxygen and carbon gases in great enough quantities. Every time I hear or read an article on the subject, I wonder why we are not replacing those rain forests. I also think that global warming (if it’s happening)occurs in cycles. Right now where I live (Wisconsin)forecasters are saying we are going to have a worse winter than we had last year. I was dragging snow off the roof of my house with almost every snow storm time that went by.

  2. Tim Gamble says:

    Jon,

    You are making the common mistake of confusing weather with climate. They are NOT the same thing. For a full explanation, read my blog post on Weather vs. Climate

  3. Tim Gamble says:

    Sorry. I meant to address my previous post to Mike, not Jon.

  4. Benjamin Napier says:

    First, the earth stopped warming in 1998. It is now cooling.

    Second, CO2 is required for plant growth. If we could raise the concentration in our atmosphere to 100ppm, we would double plant growth. Warm, wet and more CO2 would be a boon to agriculture and incidently to humans and animals. If we managed to cut CO2 down to 250 ppm, we would severely stunt plant growth. If we cut it to 150ppm, it would stop plant growth. Which, incidently, would kill us and all of the animals on earth because 100% of the carbohydrates we and the animals consume is synthesized by photosynthetic plants from atmospheric CO2.

    CO2 is not a pollutant. You are in much mmore danger from governments destroying our economies than from a completely fraudulent global warming spectre. If we cut our energy use, our economy goes in the toilet. No food produced and no way to get it to market. No electricity. No cars. No airplanes. Cities die quickly. Feudalism rears its ugly head. A new dark ages is upon the earth. Millions die. Really.

  5. Prezado a empresa GESTORAIR, é uma consultora em segurança do trabalho e meio ambiente atuando na BA/TO/RS/CE/MA, possuímos hoje um contrato com uma empresa de grande porte, o qual estamos comprovadamente reduzindo as emissões atmosféricas e investimentos em dinheiro para manutenção e suporte tecnico; em comum acordo resolvemos prtir para um processo de certificação em crédito carbono, para tal estamos a busca de empresas interessadas e fazer esta parceria para atender esta empresa de grande porte do ramo de petróleo, gostaríamos se houver interesse de um orçamento detalhado, com indicadores e projeção para futuro de tempo, investimento, pessoal, pontos positivos e negativos, caso não haja interesse desta parceria, agradecemos o envio do orçamento.
    Att,
    Airton Santos

  6. Has anyone considered the sun spot cycle and its affect on climate change, I think they should. thanks

  7. I think Al Gore needs his head examined, with all the cold weather around. What is global warmning

  8. houston says:

    CO2 is not a pollutant. You are in much mmore danger from governments destroying our economies than from a completely fraudulent global warming spectre.

  9. Crate Engine says:

    I feel a little hipcritical posting and leaving a reply seeing I am in an industry that emits one of the largest carbon foot prints.

    Most engine builders that I know in our industry, the crate engine, are actively looking for greener measures to apply whenever we are building high performance engines for our customers.

    One of the biggest selling points of the muscle car industry is the sound omitted by the V8 engine. If we could simulate that sound from an electric car then it would be like Henry Ford reinventing the Model T.

    But I can only speak for myself when I say that I am all for a greener auto industry and I am on a daily basis looking for a greener alternative to offer our customers.

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