Summary of David Hilderman: CO2 Emissions and Atmospheric Levels | Nelson Pod #220

00:00:00 - 00:45:00

In the YouTube video "David Hilderman: CO2 Emissions and Atmospheric Levels | Nelson Pod #220," David Hilderman discusses his discoveries about carbon dioxide emissions and atmospheric levels, the impact of increasing CO2 levels, and his skepticism towards the need for drastic government policies to address climate change. Hilderman explains that carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have been increasing for over a million years but have never been as high as they are now. He shares his discovery of a simple equation to explain the relationship between carbon dioxide emissions and atmospheric levels and expresses skepticism towards the link between carbon dioxide and climate change. Instead, he focuses on the potential benefits of increased carbon dioxide levels for plant growth. Hilderman also discusses the historical context of sea level records and the role of climate activist organizations in addressing the climate emergency. He expresses skepticism towards claims of rising sea levels and the need for government policies to address it, citing the ongoing use of fossil fuels in China and India for economic development and energy access. Hilderman shares his personal journey of becoming a climate change skeptic and criticizes the Western world for focusing on renewable energy sources while allegedly damaging the environment in the process. He emphasizes the need for individuals to take action and push for policies that balance economic development and environmental concerns.

• 00:00:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "David Hilderman: CO2 Emissions and Atmospheric Levels | Nelson Pod #220," David Hilderman, an electronic engineering degree holder and audio equipment designer, shares his discovery about carbon dioxide emissions and atmospheric levels. He explains that carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere change based on sources and sinks, with sources being aerobic organisms and the burning of fossil fuels, and sinks being plants and oceans. Pre-Industrial Revolution, the world was in balance with carbon dioxide levels around 280 parts per million for thousands of years. However, after the Industrial Revolution began, carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels increased significantly, leading to current atmospheric carbon dioxide levels of over 400 parts per million. Hilderman also discusses the impact of oceans on carbon dioxide levels, explaining that they absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen through photosynthesis but can also emit carbon dioxide if temperatures radically increase. He shares graphs showing carbon dioxide emissions and atmospheric levels, explaining the seasonal fluctuations in carbon dioxide levels due to plant growth in the northern hemisphere. Overall, Hilderman emphasizes that carbon dioxide levels have been increasing for over a million years but have never been as high as they are now.
• 00:05:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "David Hilderman: CO2 Emissions and Atmospheric Levels | Nelson Pod #220," David Hilderman discusses the impact of increasing carbon dioxide levels in the Earth's atmosphere. He explains that every plant on Earth grows faster today than it would have in millions of years, with the Earth gaining 18 million square kilometers of Leaf cover between 1982 and 2015. This is equivalent to adding all the plants on the continental United States multiplied by two to the planet. The graph presented shows the rate of emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which is measured in parts per million (ppm). The Earth's atmosphere had 410.28 ppm in 2019, and 412.92 ppm in 2020, with a difference of 2.64 ppm. The annual emissions in 2019 were 37.4 gigatons, and the difference between these two numbers is 2.07 ppm, equivalent to 16.28%. Nature absorbed 16.28% of the carbon dioxide emissions above what was added, with 25% of fossil fuel carbon dioxide emissions being absorbed by the oceans. The report from the World Meteorological Organization shows that in 2019, 9.26 gigatons of carbon dioxide was absorbed by the oceans, and the total emissions were 16.28%.
• 00:10:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "David Hilderman: CO2 Emissions and Atmospheric Levels | Nelson Pod #220," David Hilderman discusses his discovery of a simple equation to explain the relationship between carbon dioxide emissions and atmospheric levels. He was intrigued by the difference between the expected carbon dioxide levels based on emissions alone and the actual levels, which he attributed to the Earth's ability to absorb more carbon dioxide as levels increase. Hilderman mathematically modeled this absorption as a function of carbon dioxide levels, resulting in a simple equation. He encourages feedback from climate scientists to determine if this equation has been previously discovered and to ensure its accuracy. The equation involves calculating the difference between pre-industrial carbon dioxide levels and current levels, multiplied by a constant, which represents the amount of carbon dioxide the Earth absorbs as a result of higher levels. Hilderman provides an example calculation for the year 1961 and demonstrates that his calculated values closely match the measured carbon dioxide levels over a 62-year period.
• 00:15:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "David Hilderman: CO2 Emissions and Atmospheric Levels | Nelson Pod #220," the speaker, David Hilderman, discusses the discrepancies between measured and calculated carbon dioxide levels and wonders if there are any weather events or factors that could explain the differences. He then introduces the RCP (Representative Concentration Pathway) scenarios, which project carbon dioxide emissions and resulting climate change. Hilderman expresses his skepticism about the link between carbon dioxide and climate change and instead focuses on the potential benefits of increased carbon dioxide levels for plant growth. He shares his belief that the use of fossil fuels and decreased extreme poverty are correlated and that the RCP6 forecast, which projects a decrease in carbon dioxide emissions, is unlikely. Hilderman also mentions the work of 350.org, an international environmental organization aiming to end the use of fossil fuels and transition to renewable energy.
• 00:20:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "David Hilderman: CO2 Emissions and Atmosphere Levels | Nelson Pod #220", the speaker discusses the goals of the organization 350.org, which aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to 350 parts per million (ppm) to prevent the worst impacts of climate change. However, the speaker argues that this goal is unrealistic as emissions would need to decrease drastically and remain at 1960 levels to reach this target by 2200. Instead, he suggests that emissions should continue to rise until India and Africa are out of poverty, at which point they may rely more on nuclear energy and less on fossil fuels. The speaker also ponders the Earth's history and the role of photosynthesis and carbon sequestration in reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. He mentions that the Earth's atmosphere may have started with high carbon dioxide levels, which were reduced through photosynthesis and the creation of plant biomass, fossil fuels, and calcium carbonate structures in the ocean.
• 00:25:00 In this section of the "David Hilderman: CO2 Emissions and Atmospheric Levels | Nelson Pod #220" YouTube video, David Hilderman discusses the current ice age cycle and the role of climate activist organizations in addressing the climate emergency. He mentions receiving a weekly newsletter from the West Coast Climate Action Network, which includes updates on various initiatives and actions being taken by over 230 organizations in British Columbia. These initiatives range from fundraising for legal actions against companies using natural gas, to training events for environmental activism, and lobbying governments for climate action. Hilderman expresses concern over the potential conflict of interest as these organizations receive funding from the government while lobbying for climate action. He then shifts the topic to sea level rise, explaining that it is a significant concern in the context of climate change due to the large number of people living near coastlines, and that the sea level rise is not currently accelerating at a faster rate than it was 110 years ago.
• 00:30:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "David Hilderman: CO2 Emissions and Atmospheric Levels | Nelson Pod #220", the speaker discusses the historical sea level records and their correlation with climate change. He mentions that sea level measurements have been taken hourly since the late 1800s in various locations such as France, Germany, and the UK. The speaker points out that the rate of sea level rise accelerated around 1890, as evidenced by the longest sea level record in Europe. He also shares anecdotal evidence of the Thames River freezing over in London during the late 1800s, which was a common occurrence during the Little Ice Age. The speaker then discusses James Hansen's testimony in 1988, where he predicted catastrophic warming and significant sea level rise. However, the speaker notes that the New York sea level record does not show the accelerated rise that was predicted. The speaker also explains that sea level differences between locations are not due to the oceans rising at different rates but rather due to land rising or falling. He concludes by sharing the Vancouver sea level record, which has been rising at a rate of 0.55 millimeters per year.
• 00:35:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "David Hilderman: CO2 Emissions and Atmosperic Levels | Nelson Pod #220", the speaker expresses skepticism towards the claims of rising sea levels and the need for government policies to address it. He points out that the University of British Columbia (UBC) has created a Coastal Adaptation lab to deal with sea level rise, with projections of 0.5 meters by 2050 and 1.2 meters by 2100. However, the speaker argues that the sea level trend over the last 110 years does not support such drastic increases and that natural processes and plant growth are creating carbon dioxide and biomass, which could be contributing to land rise. The speaker also shares his personal journey of losing his job and becoming skeptical of climate change beliefs, particularly regarding sea level rise.
• 00:40:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "David Hilderman: CO2 Emissions and Atmospheric Levels | Nelson Pod #220," David Hilderman shares his experience running for election against Elizabeth May, a Green Party Member of Parliament in Canada, who advocated for treating climate change as a crisis and implementing wartime measures to reduce carbon emissions. Hilderman expresses his disagreement with May's perspective and shares his belief that most Canadians believe in a climate emergency but are not taking extreme measures to address it. He also mentions his conversion to climate change skepticism through watching videos by individuals like Tony Heller and Will Hopper, who argue that carbon dioxide has minimal impact on the climate and that the Earth's temperature has remained relatively stable despite increasing CO2 levels. Hilderman also notes the significant energy consumption difference between Canadians and the global average.
• 00:45:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "David Hilderman: CO2 Emissions and Atmosphoric Levels | Nelson Pod #220", the speaker discusses the ongoing use of fossil fuels, specifically in China and India, despite the associated carbon dioxide emissions. The speaker argues that these countries are improving their citizens' lives by providing energy and lifting them out of poverty through the construction of coal-fired power plants. The speaker acknowledges that this will contribute to increased CO2 emissions but believes it is necessary for the betterment of their populations. In contrast, the speaker criticizes the Western world for focusing on renewable energy sources like wind turbines and solar farms, while allegedly damaging the environment in the process. The speaker emphasizes the need for individuals to take action and push for policies that balance economic development and environmental concerns.