Ep. 279: Clearing up the issues about climate change (Part 2)

Guest: Greg Flato, climate scientist

In part two of our conversation with Environment Canada climate scientist Greg Flato, we discuss the dynamics of CO2 in the troposphere, the tropopause and the stratosphere.

Carbon in one layer of the atmosphere has a completely different effect on the admission and containment of heat from the sun than in the other.

We dig into the various greenhouse gases – for example, did you know that by far and away, water vapour is number one, followed by CO2 and methane or natural gas? We also discuss the fascinating makeup of methane or natural gas, which has been labelled as the cleaner greenhouse gas – but isn’t true. In fact, natural gas is 20 times more effective than CO2 as a greenhouse gas. The saving grace is that there is considerably less methane than CO2 being used to produce energy.

Most importantly, this conversation concludes on a positive note. Mr Flato, like climate scientist Simon Donner, is optimistic that collectively we will find solutions to the climate challenges we face.

Here now is part two of our Conversation That Matters with Environment Canada climate scientist Greg Flato.