GLOBAL WARMING, STABILIZATION OF THE EARTH'S BIOSPHERE
Abstract: According to available paleoclimatology data on the state of the Earth's climate in
past epochs, global warming has mainly positive consequences. Perhaps one of the main planetary
tasks of mankind is the return of carbon dioxide to the Earth's atmosphere, withdrawn from it in
previous periods of development in the form of caustobiolites (coal, oil, gas, etc.) - stabilization of
the carbon cycle of the biosphere?
Keywords: global warming, carbon footprint, climate, biosphere, biogenic elements, carbon
cycle.
The Paleogene (66-23 million years ago) is the first of the periods of the modern geological
era - the Cenozoic. By the way, it was a good time - the Paleogene post-apocalypse. The
atmosphere has finally come to a modern, human-friendly appearance with a minimum content of
carbon dioxide and moderate oxygen. The climate was smooth and mild all over the planet. The
suffocating Mesozoic heat was replaced by the conditions of the moderately humid tropics. Forests
- mostly evergreen deciduous and only in the highest latitudes coniferous - were noisy up to and
including the northern coast of Greenland. It was only in the middle of the period that it gradually
began to get colder and small ice caps formed at the poles [1]. The content of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere in the Paleogene (Paleocene-Eocene) was approximately five times higher than the
modern one (0.16% versus 0.03% at present). Average temperatures were then about 8 ?C higher
than today. Even in the North Sea in the Paleocene, the surface water temperature was about 17-18
?C, increasing to 22-23 ?C in the Eocene [2]. So why are we so afraid of the small increase in
CO2 content and the warming climate that is being observed now? What's wrong if the climate
gets a little warmer and smoother all over the planet? Are we afraid that glaciers will melt and part
of the land will be under water? But the land area has hardly changed over time. Therefore, as in the
time of Pangaea (late Paleozoic - Early Mesozoic), and now, adding up the areas of all continents
and islands, we get about one value - 150 thousand km2, this is 29% of the Earth's surface area as a
whole ... as 250 million years ago [3]. At the same time, agricultural lands make up no more than
one third of the land area, i.e. no more than 10% of the Earth's surface [4].
One of the most important factors of climate variation is the change in the intensity and
nature of volcanism with a frequency of up to tens of thousands of years, as a result of which a huge
amount of greenhouse gases can enter the atmosphere, far exceeding modern anthropogenic
emissions [5]. It is believed that this volcanic activity 250 million years ago led to the extinction of
almost 80% of all biological species on Earth [6].
After the end of the Permo-carbon glaciation, with the onset of the Mesozoic era, a very
warm climate was established on the planet, with the complete absence of polar ice caps. The warm
climate throughout almost the entire Mesozoic, with average temperatures 10-15 ? C higher than
modern ones, probably provided a fairly high content of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which
appeared after powerful volcanic activity and the strongest extinction at the Paleozoic-Mesozoic
boundary, and was maintained at approximately the same level until the end of the Mesozoic. In the
Cretaceous period, for example, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was 6-10
times higher than today's. One of the reasons why the high content of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere remained in most of the Mesozoic was probably the improvement of the carbon cycle,
which provided a more efficient return to the atmosphere [2].
At the same time, the vast majority of plants (C3 - about 95%) are adapted to a higher CO2
content in the atmosphere. Thus, according to experimental data, doubling the current concentration
of CO2 in the atmosphere from 0.03 to 0.06% will lead to an increase in productivity in C3 plants
by 49% [7].
Thus, based on the review, conclusions can be drawn:
- an increase in the CO2 content in the atmosphere compared to today's (0.03%) makes the
climate more even and mild
- during the periods of the Earth's development with a very warm climate and the absence of
polar glaciers, the land area on Earth was the same as at present
- an increase in the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere by two times compared to
today's will lead to a 49% increase in productivity of C3 plants.
- warming and equalization of the climate will increase the surface area of the Earth suitable
for agricultural activities
That is, according to available paleoclimatology data on the state of the Earth's climate in
past epochs, global warming has mainly positive consequences.
At the same time, models based on global climate warming predict scenarios of devastating
floods, droughts, forest fires, ocean acidification and the possible collapse of functioning
ecosystems, both on earth and in water [8]. Hence the Kyoto Protocol, quotas for greenhouse gas
emissions, and the calculation of the carbon footprint. However, it is impossible to build adequate
models of such a complex ecosystem as the Earth's biosphere. Therefore, it seems more preferable
to trust paleoclimatology data than global warming models. Perhaps, in particular, one of the
main planetary missions of mankind is the return of carbon dioxide to the Earth's
atmosphere, withdrawn from it in previous periods of development in the form of caustic
biolites (coal, oil, gas, etc.) - stabilization of the carbon cycle of the biosphere? This task is
performed by burning caustobiolites [9].
In the process of evolution, ecosystems have not only effectively adapted to the basic
systems of a lower level - chemical systems, but also changed them. This is the reduction of water
turbidity and oxygen saturation of the waters of the world ocean by aquatic ecosystems in the
process of their evolutionary development, the creation of soil by terrestrial ecosystems. This is the
creation of an oxygen atmosphere. On a global scale, this is the emergence and improvement of the
cycle of biogenic elements.
Higher forms of organization of matter and systems consist of and include lower forms and
systems. At the same time, higher forms and systems not only include lower forms and systems, but
also stabilizes them.
Thus, chemical systems, including elementary particles in the composition of atoms and
molecules, stabilize them in space and time.
Similarly, biological systems stabilize the chemical systems included in their composition -
they reduce entropy. "From a general planetary point of view, life should be considered as a way to
stabilize the geochemical cycles existing on the planet" [10].
Social systems must also stabilize lower systems, in particular the cycles of biogenic
elements in the biosphere.
Thus, systems at any level not only adapt to systems at a lower level of the organization, but
also stabilize them. From chemical systems, to social systems and above.
Systems, like forms of organization of matter, exist and include lower systems and are
themselves the basis for higher systems. In particular, biological systems cannot exist and do not
include chemical systems. It is not for nothing that biological systems, along with the name
"ecosystems", are also called "biogeocenosis", emphasizing their connection with the chemical
components of the Earth.
Similarly, social systems (nousystems) cannot exist and do not include biological systems
(ecosystems). Thus, the condition for the existence and development of nous systems is the
existence of ecosystems in all their structural and informational diversity.
The criteria for successful development of noosystems are:
- protection and maintenance of structural and information diversity of ecosystems
- development of science and art - two ways of understanding the world. Creative activity
and knowledge of the surrounding World are the main meaning of human life. An increase in the
degree of information content and orderliness of matter and transfer to higher levels is a condition
for the stabilization and development of natural systems, in particular noosystems.
The basic principles of the existence of noosystems, which will allow them to develop
without undermining their fundamental basis - the biosphere:
- Firstly, all waste from the functioning of noosystems must be converted into a form
familiar to these ecosystems before entering ecosystems. This translation can be carried out using
various methods, including the use of artificially created ecosystems.
- Secondly, noosystems must be effectively integrated into the food chains of ecosystems,
without slowing down the cycle of nutrients.
- Thirdly, qualitative and informational indicators that determine the development of higher
forms of organization of matter should take priority over quantitative ones. These priorities must be
taken into account when developing demographic policy.
- Fourthly, the stability of noosystems is determined by the presence of effective restrictions
and feedbacks in them [11].
One of humanity"s planetary tasks is to stabilize the Earth"s biosphere. In particular, by
stabilizing the cycles of nutrients in the biosphere.
Let's consider the role of humanity in stabilizing the cycle of basic nutrients:
- as already noted, all waste from the functioning of noosystems must, before entering
ecosystems, be converted into a form familiar to these ecosystems. This applies to solid, liquid and
gaseous waste.
- aquatic ecosystems, unlike terrestrial ones, are adapted to low levels of nutrients.
Phosphorus contained in wastewater is the main nutrient that causes anthropogenic eutrophication
of natural aquatic ecosystems. In particular, an increase in the phosphorus content in aquatic
ecosystems causes rapid development (blooming) of blue-green algae, many species of which are
nitrogen-fixing organisms and therefore their development is limited precisely by the phosphorus
content in the solution. In turn, the "blooming" of blue-greens due to the release of toxins and the
creation of anoxic zones leads to degradation and death of aquatic ecosystems. Ultimately, when
phosphorus enters aquatic ecosystems, it can be removed from the cycle for a long time in the form
of phosphate sediment. Therefore, it is the removal of phosphorus that is one of the main tasks in
the treatment of wastewater discharged into aquatic ecosystems [12, 13]. At the same time,
terrestrial ecosystems, on the contrary, are evolutionarily adapted to a high content of nutrients in
them, and the additional introduction of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus into them only increases
their productivity.
- carbon is removed from the cycle in the form of fossil fuels - caustobiolites (coal, oil, gas,
etc.). Thus, in particular, one of the main planetary missions of humanity is the return of carbon
dioxide to the Earth"s atmosphere, removed from it in previous periods of development in the form
of caustobiolites. Instead of searching for a carbon footprint, it is advisable to direct efforts and
resources to solving pressing environmental problems - returning solid, liquid and gaseous waste
from the functioning of noosystems to ecosystems, with the preliminary transfer of the returned
waste into a form familiar to these ecosystems.
Conclusion.
- One of the main planetary tasks of humanity is to stabilize the cycles of nutrients in the
biosphere. In particular, the return of carbon dioxide to the Earth"s atmosphere, removed from it in
previous periods of development in the form of caustobioliths (coal, oil, gas, etc.) - stabilization of
the biosphere carbon cycle. This task is accomplished by burning combustible minerals. There is no
need to spend effort and money on so-called carbon footprint reduction.
- Aquatic ecosystems, unlike terrestrial ones, are evolutionarily adapted to low levels of
nutrients. Therefore, the environmental task of humanity is to prevent the entry of nutrients into
natural aquatic ecosystems with wastewater.
References:
1. Кай И. Палеоген: Монстры постапокалипсиса. https://paleontol.ru/paleogenovyjperiod-monstry-postapokalipsisa-toptavshie-zemlju-50-millionov-let-nazad/ (дата обращения
02.11.2014)
2. Изменение содержания углерода в атмосфере в разные геологические периоды.