The direct warming effect of CO2 is diminishing, not linear or exponential. Past CO2 levels (e.g. ~2,000 ppm during the Jurassic period) correlate with moderate warming, not runaway effects. Even if CO2 were to reach 800 ppm, the incremental forcing per ppm would drop sharply...
CO2 primarily absorbs outgoing infrared radiation at wavelengths near 15 μm. Early increases in CO2 (e.g. from 280 ppm to 560 ppm pre-industrial to 425 today) trap significant heat, but as these bands fill, marginal gains in absorption decline...
Example: Doubling CO2 from 280 to 560 ppm adds 3.7 W/m^2 forcing, but doubling again to 1,120 ppm adds only 1.5 W/m^2. The warming effect of additional CO2 units follows a logarithmic relationship, meaning each incremental molecule has a diminishing impact...
This arises because CO₂ absorbs infrared radiation in specific wavelength bands, and once those bands are saturated, further increases in concentration yield progressively smaller changes in radiative forcing...
So if you want to go ahead and virtue signal about installing massive bird-killing wind turbines, just know that the gargantuan amount of cement used for the foundation will not cause runaway warming by itself! Birds will die, however. And they are quite ugly. (But who said anything about your aesthetic sensibilities, right!)
#HydrocarbonsRule #ThankGodForOil #WindPowerBlows
