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	<title>Comments on: Energy Doesn&#8217;t Grow on Trees</title>
	<atom:link href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2008/04/10/energy-doesnt-grow-on-trees/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2008/04/10/energy-doesnt-grow-on-trees/</link>
	<description>Random samplings from a universe of ideas.</description>
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		<title>By: Vacation &#124; Cosmic Variance</title>
		<link>http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2008/04/10/energy-doesnt-grow-on-trees/comment-page-1/#comment-38991</link>
		<dc:creator>Vacation &#124; Cosmic Variance</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Apr 2008 18:13:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2008/04/10/energy-doesnt-grow-on-trees/#comment-38991</guid>
		<description>[...] The Editors chide me for carelessly conflating ethanol and biofuels. Fair enough. If algae are a clean and efficient way to capture and store [...]</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>[...] The Editors chide me for carelessly conflating ethanol and biofuels. Fair enough. If algae are a clean and efficient way to capture and store [...]</p>
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		<title>By: Global warming is a loser and I will kick its ass &#171; The Poor Man Institute</title>
		<link>http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2008/04/10/energy-doesnt-grow-on-trees/comment-page-1/#comment-39045</link>
		<dc:creator>Global warming is a loser and I will kick its ass &#171; The Poor Man Institute</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 Apr 2008 01:01:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2008/04/10/energy-doesnt-grow-on-trees/#comment-39045</guid>
		<description>[...] Sean Carrol determines that biofuels are a crappy source of solar energy, and that nuclear fission is the way to go: As an uneducated guess, I would imagine that in the medium run the world will have to turn to [...]</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>[...] Sean Carrol determines that biofuels are a crappy source of solar energy, and that nuclear fission is the way to go: As an uneducated guess, I would imagine that in the medium run the world will have to turn to [...]</p>
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		<title>By: Petrus</title>
		<link>http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2008/04/10/energy-doesnt-grow-on-trees/comment-page-1/#comment-39044</link>
		<dc:creator>Petrus</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:03:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2008/04/10/energy-doesnt-grow-on-trees/#comment-39044</guid>
		<description>Neil,

   I undeiably refuted argument, that suggests that:
&quot;Increase in CO2 can substantialy reduce O2&quot; .
   Essentially because the whole biosphere does not have enought C to match O2 into CO2 molecules (Can match only 5% of O2, calculated with abgout +/-10% accuracy)

   Moreover, I refuted argument:
&quot; 1/2 photosynthesizing plant matter reduction (by byrning) reduces outflow of O2 to the atmosphere by 1/2 &quot;
   Because this naive calculation overlooked 2x to 3x increase in photosynthesis under highger CO2 concentrations.

    You did not point to any mistakes or omisisons in my detailed calculations posted above and that suggests that you do not have sufficient insight to debate them. Sadly, over again I find this the problem with environmentalists, that while undereducated, they presume to possess higher knowledge. But even during introdudtion to the scientirfic tenets of the theory they soon betray their inability to follow, let alone counterargument.

   Why you might have lost this argument, I appreciate your honesty and willingness to study the subject. The proof seems to be self evident but I would be every glad to present clarification. Please point constructivelly to the specific staements that are unclear to you so that I may elaborate on them.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Neil,</p>
<p>   I undeiably refuted argument, that suggests that:<br />
&#8220;Increase in CO2 can substantialy reduce O2&#8243; .<br />
   Essentially because the whole biosphere does not have enought C to match O2 into CO2 molecules (Can match only 5% of O2, calculated with abgout +/-10% accuracy)</p>
<p>   Moreover, I refuted argument:<br />
&#8221; 1/2 photosynthesizing plant matter reduction (by byrning) reduces outflow of O2 to the atmosphere by 1/2 &#8221;<br />
   Because this naive calculation overlooked 2x to 3x increase in photosynthesis under highger CO2 concentrations.</p>
<p>    You did not point to any mistakes or omisisons in my detailed calculations posted above and that suggests that you do not have sufficient insight to debate them. Sadly, over again I find this the problem with environmentalists, that while undereducated, they presume to possess higher knowledge. But even during introdudtion to the scientirfic tenets of the theory they soon betray their inability to follow, let alone counterargument.</p>
<p>   Why you might have lost this argument, I appreciate your honesty and willingness to study the subject. The proof seems to be self evident but I would be every glad to present clarification. Please point constructivelly to the specific staements that are unclear to you so that I may elaborate on them.</p>
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		<title>By: Neil B.</title>
		<link>http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2008/04/10/energy-doesnt-grow-on-trees/comment-page-1/#comment-39043</link>
		<dc:creator>Neil B.</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Apr 2008 21:01:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2008/04/10/energy-doesnt-grow-on-trees/#comment-39043</guid>
		<description>Petrus and whoever is reading, sorry for the late followup.  I do not see any scientific basis given for Petrus&#039; counter-intuitive calculations and claims (Sorry, whether it seems fair or not, the burden of proof is on the counter-intuitive claims that contradict what we expect simply and straightforwardly to happen.)</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Petrus and whoever is reading, sorry for the late followup.  I do not see any scientific basis given for Petrus&#8217; counter-intuitive calculations and claims (Sorry, whether it seems fair or not, the burden of proof is on the counter-intuitive claims that contradict what we expect simply and straightforwardly to happen.)</p>
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		<title>By: TBP</title>
		<link>http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2008/04/10/energy-doesnt-grow-on-trees/comment-page-1/#comment-39042</link>
		<dc:creator>TBP</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:27:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2008/04/10/energy-doesnt-grow-on-trees/#comment-39042</guid>
		<description>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2008/04/14/ccview114.xml

Return to math. When given a problem one finds that multiple approaches yield the same solution. Good for checking. Hurray! Return to Physics. Good old Feynman pondered that wave hitting all pathways really returns one and only end result.

Lesson to be learned. The solution is about bundling if the general result is to be the same. Something that the market speculators are so experienced in.

All solutions have + and - outcomes. The best that you can do is offset the - of some with the + of others. Rather than concentrating and promoting one less + and more - solution, or one more + and less - solution. Imbalance is a bad game. Equilibrium rocks.

When will politicians and scientists wake up to understand that.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2008/04/14/ccview114.xml" rel="nofollow">http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2008/04/14/ccview114.xml</a></p>
<p>Return to math. When given a problem one finds that multiple approaches yield the same solution. Good for checking. Hurray! Return to Physics. Good old Feynman pondered that wave hitting all pathways really returns one and only end result.</p>
<p>Lesson to be learned. The solution is about bundling if the general result is to be the same. Something that the market speculators are so experienced in.</p>
<p>All solutions have + and &#8211; outcomes. The best that you can do is offset the &#8211; of some with the + of others. Rather than concentrating and promoting one less + and more &#8211; solution, or one more + and less &#8211; solution. Imbalance is a bad game. Equilibrium rocks.</p>
<p>When will politicians and scientists wake up to understand that.</p>
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		<title>By: Petrus</title>
		<link>http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2008/04/10/energy-doesnt-grow-on-trees/comment-page-1/#comment-39041</link>
		<dc:creator>Petrus</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:13:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2008/04/10/energy-doesnt-grow-on-trees/#comment-39041</guid>
		<description>Neil,

   To correct your calculations:

   if photosynthesizing plant matter is reduced to 1/2 of the previous amount, then the outflow of O2 to the atmosphere is about 1.2 times what it was before due to increased photosynthesis rate on a 3.5x increase of CO2 partial pressure to 140Pa.

   And  as for politics, I do not subscribe to the neocnservatism. That is a betrayal of true conservatism and a dangerous way leftward to National Socialim.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Neil,</p>
<p>   To correct your calculations:</p>
<p>   if photosynthesizing plant matter is reduced to 1/2 of the previous amount, then the outflow of O2 to the atmosphere is about 1.2 times what it was before due to increased photosynthesis rate on a 3.5x increase of CO2 partial pressure to 140Pa.</p>
<p>   And  as for politics, I do not subscribe to the neocnservatism. That is a betrayal of true conservatism and a dangerous way leftward to National Socialim.</p>
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		<title>By: Petrus</title>
		<link>http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2008/04/10/energy-doesnt-grow-on-trees/comment-page-1/#comment-38999</link>
		<dc:creator>Petrus</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:07:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2008/04/10/energy-doesnt-grow-on-trees/#comment-38999</guid>
		<description>Correction:

The d(O2)net/dt = d(O2)in/dt + d(o2)out/dt only works with 1% of the air, and 5% of atmospheric O2.

  BTW, I hoped that you would read my post, understand it, recalculate it and found some real mistake. Please do the effort, I do not mind to be proven wrong as long as your corrections are valid. But at this point, I see no essential flaw in my numbers.

  I found that a small correction for mass of Carbon is needed in:
 You would need to increase CO2 concentration 35.94 times to 13656ppm to reduce O2 down to 18%, an equivalent to ascending to 800m (2700?) elevation.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Correction:</p>
<p>The d(O2)net/dt = d(O2)in/dt + d(o2)out/dt only works with 1% of the air, and 5% of atmospheric O2.</p>
<p>  BTW, I hoped that you would read my post, understand it, recalculate it and found some real mistake. Please do the effort, I do not mind to be proven wrong as long as your corrections are valid. But at this point, I see no essential flaw in my numbers.</p>
<p>  I found that a small correction for mass of Carbon is needed in:<br />
 You would need to increase CO2 concentration 35.94 times to 13656ppm to reduce O2 down to 18%, an equivalent to ascending to 800m (2700?) elevation.</p>
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		<title>By: Petrus</title>
		<link>http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2008/04/10/energy-doesnt-grow-on-trees/comment-page-1/#comment-39040</link>
		<dc:creator>Petrus</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:52:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2008/04/10/energy-doesnt-grow-on-trees/#comment-39040</guid>
		<description>Neil B.

   Please do understand my argument. The d(O2)net/dt = d(O2)in/dt + d(o2)out/dt only works with 1% of the atmospheric O2. There is not enough unoxigenized Carbon to bond with any more of it above ground, and much less of boron, sulfur, phosphor or other elements. Most abundant elements such as H, Si and Al are already fully oxygenated!

  If you burn everything you can (except quite intert N), at least 17% of oxygen will still remain.

  Moreover, you 1/2 vegeration argument is wrong. If you consume (burn, rot or eat) 1/2 of photosyntesis matter, you will increase the atmospheric CO2 3.5 times to 1400ppm. at 600ppm most plants photosynthesise between 30% to 200% faster. At 1400pm most plants at least double their growth. THATS why I am saying that thte plants are starving for CO2. They did live on 285ppm in the past, but all the huge deposit of coal and oil come from the house size ferns in Perm and Carbon eras when there was up to 5000ppm of CO2 in the air.

   Why we cannot produce such a quantity of biomass nowdayws? It is not lack of water or lack of sunshine, these remain about the same. It is the lack of --- CO2 !

    RECLAIM THE LOST CARBON BACK OUT OF THE GROUND !</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Neil B.</p>
<p>   Please do understand my argument. The d(O2)net/dt = d(O2)in/dt + d(o2)out/dt only works with 1% of the atmospheric O2. There is not enough unoxigenized Carbon to bond with any more of it above ground, and much less of boron, sulfur, phosphor or other elements. Most abundant elements such as H, Si and Al are already fully oxygenated!</p>
<p>  If you burn everything you can (except quite intert N), at least 17% of oxygen will still remain.</p>
<p>  Moreover, you 1/2 vegeration argument is wrong. If you consume (burn, rot or eat) 1/2 of photosyntesis matter, you will increase the atmospheric CO2 3.5 times to 1400ppm. at 600ppm most plants photosynthesise between 30% to 200% faster. At 1400pm most plants at least double their growth. THATS why I am saying that thte plants are starving for CO2. They did live on 285ppm in the past, but all the huge deposit of coal and oil come from the house size ferns in Perm and Carbon eras when there was up to 5000ppm of CO2 in the air.</p>
<p>   Why we cannot produce such a quantity of biomass nowdayws? It is not lack of water or lack of sunshine, these remain about the same. It is the lack of &#8212; CO2 !</p>
<p>    RECLAIM THE LOST CARBON BACK OUT OF THE GROUND !</p>
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		<title>By: George Musser</title>
		<link>http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2008/04/10/energy-doesnt-grow-on-trees/comment-page-1/#comment-38970</link>
		<dc:creator>George Musser</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Apr 2008 03:54:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2008/04/10/energy-doesnt-grow-on-trees/#comment-38970</guid>
		<description>MedallionOfFerret writes #55:

&lt;blockquote&gt;George–Instead of relying on the kindness of strangers perhaps you might reconsider your own reasoning. Anne’s scenario (#8) requires burning of two liters of fuel (oil or ethanol) to produce one liter of ethanol. You (#13) wish to provide &quot;Another way to interpret&quot; this, through producing three liters of ethanol from corn or sugar cane, then selling one of them, and using the other two to produce more ethanol. (Hints: how many liters of fuel will you need to purchase to produce those three liters? After you sell one, how many more liters can be produced from the two liters left? What is the comparison of the initial fuel input to the fuel produced?)&lt;/blockquote&gt;

I appreciate your comments, though am somewhat perplexed by their tone (and indeed by the tone of other comments on this blog -- I worry that Cosmic Variance is starting to go the way of other blogs in shedding more heat than light).  Perhaps, before you comment, you might find it instructive to look at the entire thread of thought.  My original comment came from the observation that news stories are not very clear when they say that &quot;it costs more energy to create them [biofuels] than we can get by actually using them&quot;.  What exactly does this mean?  *Every* fuel requires more energy to create than it releases during use.  At face value, all this statement really says is that the efficiency of a fuel is less than 100 percent -- which is a trivial statement.  If the energy comes from sun, it doesn&#039;t really matter what the efficiency is (at least not for energetics -- obviously it makes a difference for land use).

Anne then suggests that this statement might be interpreted, in effect, as &quot;it costs more energy IN THE FORM OF LIQUID FUEL to create biofuels than we can get by actually using them&quot;.  That is a stronger statement than the original, as I was trying to get across in the post that prompted your remark about the kindness of strangers.

All I am really asking for is a detailed accounting of the energetics of biofuel production.

George</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>MedallionOfFerret writes #55:</p>
<blockquote><p>George–Instead of relying on the kindness of strangers perhaps you might reconsider your own reasoning. Anne’s scenario (#8) requires burning of two liters of fuel (oil or ethanol) to produce one liter of ethanol. You (#13) wish to provide &#8220;Another way to interpret&#8221; this, through producing three liters of ethanol from corn or sugar cane, then selling one of them, and using the other two to produce more ethanol. (Hints: how many liters of fuel will you need to purchase to produce those three liters? After you sell one, how many more liters can be produced from the two liters left? What is the comparison of the initial fuel input to the fuel produced?)</p></blockquote>
<p>I appreciate your comments, though am somewhat perplexed by their tone (and indeed by the tone of other comments on this blog &#8212; I worry that Cosmic Variance is starting to go the way of other blogs in shedding more heat than light).  Perhaps, before you comment, you might find it instructive to look at the entire thread of thought.  My original comment came from the observation that news stories are not very clear when they say that &#8220;it costs more energy to create them [biofuels] than we can get by actually using them&#8221;.  What exactly does this mean?  *Every* fuel requires more energy to create than it releases during use.  At face value, all this statement really says is that the efficiency of a fuel is less than 100 percent &#8212; which is a trivial statement.  If the energy comes from sun, it doesn&#8217;t really matter what the efficiency is (at least not for energetics &#8212; obviously it makes a difference for land use).</p>
<p>Anne then suggests that this statement might be interpreted, in effect, as &#8220;it costs more energy IN THE FORM OF LIQUID FUEL to create biofuels than we can get by actually using them&#8221;.  That is a stronger statement than the original, as I was trying to get across in the post that prompted your remark about the kindness of strangers.</p>
<p>All I am really asking for is a detailed accounting of the energetics of biofuel production.</p>
<p>George</p>
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		<title>By: Neil B.</title>
		<link>http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2008/04/10/energy-doesnt-grow-on-trees/comment-page-1/#comment-38998</link>
		<dc:creator>Neil B.</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 Apr 2008 22:27:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2008/04/10/energy-doesnt-grow-on-trees/#comment-38998</guid>
		<description>PS: As I already alluded to, what we breathe out is part of the recycling CO2 above-ground cycle and does not add to net CO2 anyway, yet uneducated or deliberately deceptive manipulators like Rush Limbaugh keep bringing up that thing about exhaling.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>PS: As I already alluded to, what we breathe out is part of the recycling CO2 above-ground cycle and does not add to net CO2 anyway, yet uneducated or deliberately deceptive manipulators like Rush Limbaugh keep bringing up that thing about exhaling.</p>
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