Propaganda at Every Turn

Look at how this subject is explained on the web site of the Union of Concerned Scientists. It says this:

The “greenhouse effect” refers to the natural phenomenon that keeps the Earth in a temperature range that allows life to flourish. The sun’s enormous energy warms the Earth’s surface and its atmosphere. As this energy radiates back toward space as heat, a portion is absorbed by a delicate balance of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere—among them carbon dioxide and methane—which creates an insulating layer. With the temperature control of the greenhouse effect, the Earth has an average surface temperature of 59°F (15°C). Without it, the average surface temperature would be 0°F (-18°C),—

Scientists have concluded that human activities are contributing to global warming by adding large amounts of heat-trapping gases to the atmosphere.—we release carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases into the air.

Now read the same thing described more honestly:

The “greenhouse effect” refers to the natural phenomenon that keeps the Earth in a temperature range that allows life to flourish. The sun’s enormous energy warms the Earth’s surface and its atmosphere. As this energy radiates back toward space as heat, a portion is absorbed by a delicate balance of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere—among them carbon dioxide and methane—which constitute only about 0.05% of the atmosphere. When combined with the other 99.95% of the atmosphere (mostly nitrogen and oxygen), the total creates an insulating layer. With the temperature control of the greenhouse effect, the Earth has an average surface temperature of 59°F (15°C). Without it, the average surface temperature would be 0°F (-18°C),—

Scientists have concluded that human activities are contributing to global warming by adding large amounts of heat-trapping gases to the atmosphere.—we release carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases into the air.

They pulled a switcharoo in their description. It is the total atmosphere which heats the planet 59°F (33°C), while they say a “delicate balance of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere—among them carbon dioxide and methane—which creates an insulating layer.”

Not being said by the propagandists is that conduction and convection are involved in the “greenhouse effect,” while carbon dioxide is about radiation only. Another misrepresentation is omitting water vapor, which is similar to CO2 in its absorption characteristics, and it is often a hundred times more prevalent.

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