re: #93 publicityStunted

On an AGW note, I came across this comment the other day and am wondering if it’s accurate?

I think that is a little over the top.

My understanding of the Permian extinction was that it was caused by a combination of extreme volcanic activity, leading to a massive increase in CO2 the atmosphere (which occurred over a years!) and more importantly in the oceans, leading to the death of most phyto plankton. This segued with a massive increase in the production of SO2 from other oceanic sufate reducing bacterium and a massive release of oceanic methane.

The upshot was drastic climate change coupled with ocean anoxia and too much SO2 in the atmosphere.

When people who study climate like me want to be kept awake at night we look at methane release from the oceans, and SO2 blooms coupled with the over 40% reduction in oceanic phytoplankton in the last 50 years.