Human knowledge
allows us to flourish, in numbers, and with living standards unimaginable to
our ancestors.
Our main
advantage is mastery of energy. Westarted on this path with agriculture. We co-opted animals to work for
us. Then we discovered fossil fuels and the steam engine. Our productivity –
and numbers - increased many fold.
This
presentation focuses on managinggreenhouse gases by taking lessons from the carbon cycle and using
energy wisely. We know plants take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and
combine it with water to produce food. Carbon is cycled continuously
throughthe environment by life on
earth.Our knowledge of the cycle
provides us withinsight to tackle management
of greenhouse gases head on.
I have just two
main points to make.Managing
greenhouse gases will be a monumental task. Major expenditures of mental and
physical energy will be needed.
Wewill start by considering the carbon cycle
in some detail.
