February 20, 2026
Carbon Isotopes and Climate Change
Timothy Birdnow
One of the Gang Green's arguments is that the ratio between carbon 12 and 13 is shifting and this is a "signature" of human-induced climate change. It's silly.
First we don't know if those isotope levels are caused by industrial emissions or not. I would remind you that industrial emissions dropped by 17% during the pandemic yet we saw no drop in the rate of increase of atmospheric CO2 during that time, nor right after it either. What does that tell us? It suggests this is all natural and the so-called "fingerprint" is not really that at all.
The ratio between carbon 12 and 13 and carbon 14 is very small - less than 1% - and may well be a measurement problem. Carbon 12 and c13 have only an 8% difference I might add and so it may well be we just are in the margin of error. We don't know for sure. And we don't KNOW this can't happen from natural causes. As usual the alarmists pretend to more knowledge than they have any right to claim.
That reality is that this is an issue on the margins.
In fact we saw changes in the balance between c12 and c13 in paleo times; the Permian for instance, which was caused by the eruption of the Siberian traps. So it does happen naturally.
And the fact remains CO2 is a trace gas at 0.042% of the Earth's atmosphere. Only four molecules of carbon dioxide are in every TEN THOUSAND molecules of air. That is an increase certainly but human contributions were less than one of those molecules. This is like trying to wind with a chain link fence.
Besides, nobody has disputed that there has been a modest change in atmospheric carbon dioxide. What that MEANS is what is open for debate.
BTW atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are measured from Mona Loa observatory, which sits on the lip of an active volcano. You can't make this stuff up.
This was a nice try but in the end it still comes down to a vivid imagination and confident assertions without proper scientific underpinning.
Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at
02:01 PM
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1
We could cut down on CO2 if we could get the Left to just STFU.
Posted by: Dana Mathewson at February 21, 2026 12:39 AM (ja9sb)
2
Amen to THAT Dana. And quit flying around the world for meetings to lecture the rest of us about how bad we are.
Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at February 21, 2026 12:03 PM (oflqW)
3
Article says that the southern oceans are becoming less salty. They admit they don't know why this is happening (fresh water is being added to the northern oceans, not so much the southern ones), or to what specific degree it's happening, or why it will create climate disaster, or why exactly it will create climate disaster, only that it will create climate disaster.
Posted by: bill H. at February 22, 2026 10:10 AM (FRG6e)
4
Exactly Bill; they don't know half as much as they pretend to know. BTW IF they could pin the desalinization of the southern oceans on melting ice caps they would do it but the reality is the Antarctic ice has actually grown, not shrunk, so it's not that.
But why let the dearth of knowledge get in the way of a good end of the world story...
But why let the dearth of knowledge get in the way of a good end of the world story...
Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at February 23, 2026 11:59 AM (oflqW)
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