Xref: utzoo sci.bio:867 sci.research:322
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!think!husc6!cca!g-rh
From: g-rh@cca.CCA.COM (Richard Harter)
Newsgroups: sci.bio,sci.research
Subject: Re: Thoughts on Life, Plate Tectonics and the Greenhouse Effect
Message-ID: <23839@cca.CCA.COM>
Date: 31 Jan 88 02:12:17 GMT
References: <952@tahoe.unr.edu>
Reply-To: g-rh@CCA.CCA.COM.UUCP (Richard Harter)
Organization: Computer Corp. of America, Cambridge, MA
Lines: 27
Keywords: life, plate tectonics, greenhouse, C02, oceans

In article <952@tahoe.unr.edu> malc@tahoe.unr.edu (Malcolm L. Carlock) writes:

	An interesting speculation, which I shan't repeat.

You might check out the latest Scientific American, which has an article
about why Earth, Mars, and Venus are the way they are.   One point relevant
to your theory is that life is not essential to the carbon dioxide recycling
mechanism.  Another is that Mars is too small for plate tectonics -- it cooled
off too fast.  There is strong evidence that early Mars started plate tectonics
and then "froze".

Is it true that Venus doesn't have plate tectonics?  I don't know.

>P.S.	I read several years ago that the biggest source of C02 in North
>	America, beside which all other sources pale to insignificance, is
>	flatulence from domestic livestock (especially cattle) !!  (I will
>	try to find my source for this and post it at a later date.)  I guess
>	the keeping of domestic livestock can be counted as one of the
>	"works of man" . . .

I believe that it is Methane, not Carbon Dioxide, that was referred to.


-- 

In the fields of Hell where the grass grows high
Are the graves of dreams allowed to die.
	Richard Harter, SMDS  Inc.