CO2 monitoring should be ‘Second Nature’ :
05/12/2007
In this week’s issue of the science journal Nature, Euan Nisbet, Professor of Geology at Royal Holloway, University of London, argues that ‘in situ’ (measured directly, as opposed to remote sensing) monitoring of CO2 levels in the atmosphere is essential for a successful global effort in tackling climate change.
As the climate community celebrates the 50th anniversary of the measurements that documented the rise of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, monitoring is still not valued as ‘discovery’ science. Professor Nisbet points to major gaps in our current monitoring of greenhouse gases in the tropics and South Atlantic, and also in isotope and nitrous-oxide monitoring.
Referring to in situ monitoring as ‘the Cinderella of science’ due to its lack of funding and unglamorous nature, Professor Nisbet argues that trustworthy long-term data sets are essential for the understanding of the Earth’s greenhouse gases and the verification of initiatives such as the Kyoto Protocol.
'Funding agencies are seduced by either ‘pure’ notions of basic science as hypothesis-testing, or by the satanic mills of commercial rewards,' says Professor Nisbet, 'Neither motive fosters ‘dull’ monitoring because meeting severe analytical demands is not seen as a worthwhile investment.'
In situ monitoring of CO2 performed by Charles David Keeling in the late 1950s led to the discovery that levels of greenhouse gases are rising, and first triggered concerns about the danger of global climate change. The connection between rising CO2 and fossil-fuel burning was firmly established by Keeling’s monitoring, showing that a substantial fraction of the gas added by humans remains in the atmosphere.
'Had we not had Keeling’s long back-record, awareness of global change would have come more slowly,' says Professor Nisbet. 'A good monument to his work would be an improved UN Global Atmosphere Watch for greenhouse gases. It is time to build on that to gain a stronger, more permanent global commitment.'
'Comprehension of climate change requires good in situ data. Quality is crucial if we are to understand the long-term increase in greenhouse gases in the air. Without trustworthy measurement, we cannot understand the system of Earth,' he concludes.
Professor Nisbet is also taking part in a climate change conference on the social network ‘Second Life’ this week. Under the banner ‘Second Nature’, a specially designed locale built by Nature will host four talks on the science of climate change and will allow anyone to participate without increasing their carbon footprint.
Professor Nisbet’s commentary in Nature draw on many years’ experience in the monitoring of climate change; he is currently leading the Greenhouse Gas Activity in the European Union's Global Earth Observation and Monitoring of the Atmosphere (GEOMON) project, which aims to build a Europe-wide system of monitoring climate change and levels of greenhouse gases. This consortium of researchers from all over Europe, led by Philippe Ciais in Paris, is a major integrated project that will help to build a broad information base about the European atmosphere and how it is changing.
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v450/n7171/covers/index.html
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v450/n7171/edsumm/e071206-01.html
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v450/n7171/pdf/450789a.pdf