Debunking the myths Myths about the basic science

‘CO2 isn’t a greenhouse gas’ This is basic, well-established science that is difficult to deny – but some people still like to have a go. Carbon dioxide’s heat-trapping properties were first discovered by John Tyndall in the 1860s.3 The warming powers of CO2 can be demonstrated simply by filling a plastic bottle with the gas, shining a lamp on it and measuring its temperature compared to a bottle filled with ordinary air. The BBC do it in a two-minute video here: news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8394168.stm ‘When the climate changed in prehistoric times, the warming came first, then the CO2 rose afterwards’ Evidence from ancient ice cores, tree rings, coastlines, and the ocean’s depths provide

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N ew I n t e r nat i o nal i s t ● MAY 2 011● 15

N ew I n t e r nat i o nal i s t ● MAY 2 011● 15