500 Million Years of CO2
500 million years of CO2 claim scientists in reports in ScienceDaily 28 November 2018, and Science Advances 28 November 2018 doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aat4556.
A group of scientists at the Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) and Utrecht University have analysed a chemical named phytane in over 300 samples of sediment from deep sea cores and from oil, in order to estimate carbon dioxide levels in the past. According to ScienceDaily, the samples represent “the majority of geological periods in the last 500 million years”. Phytane is a breakdown product of chlorophyll – the pigment that plants and algae use for photosynthesis. When plants die the chlorophyll is broken down and molecules like phytane remain in the soil, and in sediments and oils formed from decayed plant matter.
The scientists estimated the carbon dioxide levels by analysing the amount of Carbon 13 (an isotope of carbon) in the phytane. Most carbon is Carbon 12, and plants prefer to use that to make organic molecules using carbon dioxide, but when carbon dioxide levels are low they will use more Carbon 13. Therefore, the scientists claim the proportion of Carbon 13 in fossil sediment or oil is an indicator of the level of carbon dioxide at the time the sediment was buried or the oil formed.
Caitlyn Witkowski of NIOZ summarised their results: “In our data, we see high levels of carbon dioxide, reaching 1000 ppm as opposed to today’s 410 ppm. In this respect, present day levels are not unique, but the speed of these changes have never been seen before. Changes that typically take millions of years are now happening in a century. This additional CO2-data may help us understand the future of our planet.”
Editorial Comment: The belief that any changes did not happen as rapidly as current changes is entirely based on the already believed vast evolutionary ages of the sediment and oil they studied. If the sediments and oils were laid down in less time, then carbon dioxide levels would have also changed rapidly in the past. There are natural phenomena that produce carbon dioxide, and some of them happen very rapidly, e.g. volcanic eruptions.
Irrespective of how old the sediments are, if isotopes of phytane are an accurate indicator of carbon dioxide levels then carbon dioxide levels have been more than twice the current levels at various times in the past, and human industry and farming had nothing to do with it.
If these scientists really want to know about the future of our planet, they should consult the Creator who made it and therefore controls its destiny. The end of this world will be the hottest global warming ever – but not because of carbon dioxide. This earth is destined for a fiery end because of human sin. (2 Peter 3:7,10) However, before that final judgement the Creator came has to earth as Jesus Christ the Saviour, who died and rose again to pay the penalty for that sin. Human scientists, politicians and environmentalists cannot save this planet, but they can accept the free gift of being saved from judgement through receiving Christ as Creator, Judge and Saviour.
Evidence New vol. 18 No. 18
12 December 2018
Creation Research Australia
12 December 2018
Creation Research Australia
