April 25, 2026
A Poke in the Isotope
Timothy Birdnow
I got into it with a clown on Facebook who says we "know without a doubt" that we've filled the atmosphere with industrial carbon dioxide and that we're all going to die. I asked how he knew that and he trotted out the old trope about atmospheric carbon isotopes. The theory, pushed by the IPCC, says that our emissions are of the lighter c12 isotope and C13, and 14 are reducing in the atmosphere, thus proving it's all our faults and we're all going to die and we deserve to. Here was my reply:
I think you are the one who needs to keep up. Carbon 12 accounts for 98.9% of atmospheric carbon dioxide with another 1.6% of carbon 13. Your argument is that carbon 12 levels have increased in the upper atmosphere and that "proves" climate change is caused by Man and is warming the Earth (both assumptions you cannot necessarily make; correlation is not causality). But is that the case? The reality is the Earth's albedo has been decreasing and there is more plant growth. we don't know for sure if the new plant life on Earth is respirating in the same fashion that old growth does, as just one possible example.
In fact there are a number of natural phenomenon that mimic the "signature" of which you speak so glibly. https://climatechangedispatch.com/new-evidence-questions-co2-role-carbon-cycle/
Permafrost melting releases carbon dioxide low in c14 and c13, as does the weathering of sedimentary rocks and it is entirely possible upwelling from the oceans releases similar isotopes. In fact, a study of ice cores showed no change in isotopic ratios since the Little Ice Age. https://www.mdpi.com/2413-4155/6/1/17
So once again you guys jump to conclusions with inadequate evidence and believe you have a "smoking gun" when in reality what you have is a theory that may or may not have some scientific validity. It was a nice try though.
Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at
01:24 PM
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Well, he's right about one thing: we're all going to die. However, he's way off base when he postulates that we're all going to die from CO2. In fact, I'll wager he's going to step off the curb one day, looking the wrong way and get hammered by one of his precious Teslas. Which will not only end HIS life but very probably bust up the Tesla beyond recognition and probably incinerate the driver of the Tesla as well.
Posted by: Dana Mathewson at April 25, 2026 07:43 PM (8kMOw)
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Dana, I put the "we're all going to die" part in myself; he didn't actually say that, but the upshot of his argument was essentially that. It's a "planetary emergency" to these people.
And always they assume more knowledge than they actually possess.
You're right though; he'll probably die in a horrible EV hit and run.
And always they assume more knowledge than they actually possess.
You're right though; he'll probably die in a horrible EV hit and run.
Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at April 26, 2026 08:25 AM (oflqW)
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