The Quacks Are Still Misleading Us

What the condescending say now....

Europe's volcanic ash cloud: What you need to know

What will the effect on the environment be?

While the volcano is releasing both sulfur dioxide and CO2 into the atmosphere, the amounts are minuscule when compared to those released by human activity on a daily basis. It could even be argued that the eruption has been good for the environment: Eyjafjallajoekull has belched out 7,412 tons of CO2, but the airplanes it has grounded would have emitted 206,465 tons.

Really? A look at the suspicious spreadsheet behind the aticle (posted on April 16, 2010) discloses unscientific manipulation of data to achieve specious (i.e. having a false look of truth) conclusions.

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Spreadsheet Item(s)

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- Volcano Eyjafjallajoekull (2010) background 7,412 metric tons CO2/day

- UPDATED Volcano Eyjafjallajoekull (pre-eruption) 15,000 metric tons CO2/day

- UPDATED Volcano Eyjafjallajoekull (erupting) 150,000 metric tons CO2/day

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M.E. comments:

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UPDATED emissions were not shown when article was written; a low figure of 7,412 tons CO2 was first used. This was later called a background (pre-eruption) level of CO2 output. Is even the adjusted, pre-eruption level of 15,000 daily tons accurate? Hardly, it is based on
calculation using CO2: SO2 ratios (5:1) attributed to the Nordic Volcanological Institute.

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Is it valid to expect the same ratio of CO2: SO2 on a pre-eruption and eruption basis? The 5:1 estimate is not valid for several reasons:

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1- Pre-eruption and eruption conditions are vastly dissimilar; mass emissions accounting for the latter have not been adequately performed scientifically with grid sampling.

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2- Ratios of CO2:SO2 vary by volcano as shown in the USGS chart here.

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3- Contrary even to the 150,000 daily tons of CO2 (UPDATED) Volcano Eyjafjallajoekull (erupting) estimate used in the spreadsheet, the EIN News cites the same source, Agence France-Presse (AFP), with this estimate:

April 20, 2010 - Experts in earth sciences predict that the Iceland volcano is emitting between 150,000 and 300,000 tons of carbon dioxide per day, according to Agence France-Presse.

The AFP figure is up to 200% higher than the minimum number used in the spreadsheet. A better estimate would have been 225,000 tons/day of CO2. Is it wise to assume anything else would be correct in view of what has been shown obviously wrong, so far?

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M.E. certainly does not believe so, do you? Comparable CO2 emissions of Europe's aviation industry have been accurately reflected in the supporting spreadsheet, but only dated media sources for even that information have been given. Cleaner engines have been developed since 2006.

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The absolving "scientific" review of East Anglia's Climate Gate has encouraged these condescending know-it-alls to think non-believers must be stupid. It is their grossly misleading spreadsheet, however, not mine!

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Submarines are always silent and strange.