Climate Change and Cigarettes

LJWorld.com weblogs Patrick's Perspective

Posted by Patrick Freeland November 5, 2009 at 3:53 a.m.

All along the Huanghe and Yangzte, people began to plant grains in standing water. Pioneered by Shen Nong Shi, the agrarian culture of China was born, according to legend anyway. This specialized growth of edible foods, led to other civil practices and even climate studies. Generation after generation, this so-called "farming" became wildly popular all across Asia, eventually reaching Northern Africa and then eventually Europe. Aboriginal Australians figured it out on their own, but they didn't make a livelihood of it, the same could be said for the Aboriginal Americans. It was simply a way of life, after all it's not hard to figure out that plants grow from seed. Little did the earliest agrarian civilizations realize that traces of their farming would be unearthed, thousands of years later in mineral layers of a stalagmite in Mexico. Luis González ( A really nice guy, by the way), Associate Professor of Geology at KU once showed me this stalagmite.

Utilizing some of the most complex machines, mathematics, and methodologies, it became apparent that the first instances of mankind's influence on global climate was during the birth of agriculture in China. The decaying plant matter emitted methane, a greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. Granted, all decaying plant matter emits methane to some degree, large-scale growing operations to harvest grain, as opposed to the entire plant, accelerated the natural rate of methane emissions.

Other climate scientists have found correlations with the Sun's activity, solar maxima and solar minima, cross-referenced with the axial rotation of the earth to indicate global warming and global cooling periods, as evidenced by glacial maximums and glacial retreat. Either way, it seems absolute that climate change, man-made or not, is occurring.

So why is it that everyone is freaking out?

Al Gore presented "An Inconvenient Truth," and showed a few numbers. Senator Jim Inhofe warned of "A climate change hoax," and presented a few numbers. All sorts of scientists from Australia to Zimbabwe, have presented countless data on climate, cross-referenced with just about every factor known, and even some factors unknown, to try to answer whether or not the weather is changing for the worse. Even still, some people will be able to tell you Yes it Is, or No it is Not.

I smoke cigarettes. I'm not proud of it, but it's a fact. At least I don't throw my butts on the ground. My favorite brand of cigarette is Newport™ brand cigarettes. I'm fully aware of the reasons why I should quit. The studies on carcinogenic pesticides used in the Lorillard fields in Greensboro, NC and their toxic effects is alarming. The pictures of smoker's lungs hanging about in schools other constant advertisements remind me that it's not good for my health. But all these facts mean absolutely nothing to me when I hear the soothing click of a lighter, smell the faint tinge of toasted paper as the tip turns red, as my cheeks pucker with a savory draw of cool mentholated smoke dancing over my tongue as I inhale that first puff deeply with a calming sigh.

I will quit someday, that is known. But whether I quit because I contract cancer and die, or because I take a conscientious effort to stop smoking is the true unknown. Draw all the parallels you like.

I think that the climate is getting warmer and here's why. Last year, seven of my favorite trees on campus were cut down because of Bark Beetle infestation. That's enough evidence for me. What do you think?

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geekin_topekan (anonymous) says…

Ummm,Patrick?
I understand completely that the prehistoric agriculture in China shows that methane production was accelerated as shown in the formula m(f)=m( .00023217/a( .24)+d all over the axial tilt at that time(t) which would have added .783326t seconds of sun energy assuming that it was always sunny in ancient China.
Or something like that.I understand.

Al Gore made a documentary with added shock value which is unusual by a former political figure and we all were enlightened to varying degrees.
I am happy to have been around during that historic time.

WHat I don't understand is the correlation of climate change and your poetic and dramatized description of your addiction to nicotine and your favorite trees destroyed due to a bug infestation.
Could you help me out with that one please.

"...I quit because I contract cancer..."
"...seven of my favorite trees on campus were cut down ..."
Sounds to me like you deploy your shoot on impact.

Interesting read and I hope that you keep them coming n a regular basis but...
Order! We need order!

Coffee time.
November 5, 2009 at 7:07 a.m.
BigPrune (anonymous) says…

People can't eat meat because the cows give off methane in their waste, and people can't eat vegetables because of the decaying plant matter, plus the effects after consumption gives off methane from humans.

Obviously, it's a no-win situation. If we stop eating then we die, and when we die, a rotting corpse gives off methane. It's still a no-win.

I guess we should all stop worrying about killing the planet. It's quite obvious and scientific the sun causes global warming and cooling.
November 5, 2009 at 7:36 a.m.
patrickfreeland (Patrick Freeland) says…

I was attempting to illustrate choice. I thought that if I indirectly compared my own addiction to a harmful substance in spite of knowledge, it might provide a correlation to mankind's continuation of harmful practices. Perhaps an edit is in order, but I have class soon.

As for the trees, the bark beetles have overpopulated due primarily to warmer winters.
November 5, 2009 at 7:46 a.m.
Irish (Leslie Swearingen) says…

BigPrune I am totally with you. You said it all.
Patrick, I believe that we are compelled to be good stewards of ourselves and the planet, insofar as we have the ability to do so.
Your blog is good, but do not assume your reader is of the same mindset that you are and so will "get" your comparisons and metaphors.
November 5, 2009 at 11:41 a.m.