Greenhouse Gases and Climate from a Physical-Chemical Perspective

Abstract
In our previous publications we examined the role of carbon dioxide, CO2, in the greenhouse effect according to Physical Chemistry Principles. This work led to arguments that raised doubts about the human-caused origin of climate change, in opposition to renowned climate scientists. Our results are summarized here as a response as well as a contribution to the current discussion. This specifically concerns the question of what drives the relationship between the concentration of CO2 and rising temperatures in the Earth's atmosphere. The exchange amounts of CO2 between the atmosphere and the biosphere as well as between the oceans are considered. The energy flows between space and Earth, as well as on Earth itself, show a negligible impact from human energy production. The criticism also relates to the lack of connection between the history of climate and modern climate research, as well as the overlooked effects of climate protection on the environment.

Keywords
Greenhouse gases, heat capacity, IR-transmitters and -emitters, radiation balance, energy and CO2 balances, climate and environment protection

Cite this paper
Helmut Ullmann, Martin Bülow, Greenhouse Gases and Climate from a Physical-Chemical Perspective , SCIREA Journal of Chemistry. Volume 11, Issue 1, February 2026 | PP. 17-27. 10.54647/chemistry150421

References

[ 1 ]	Ullmann H. und Bülow M. (2023): Zur Rolle des Kohlenstoffdioxids für das Klima (On the role of carbon dioxide fort the climate), Leibniz Online, Nr. 50, 1-8. DOI: 10.53201/LEIBNIZONLINE50.
[ 2 ]	Ullmann H. und Bülow M. (2024): Zur Rolle der Spurengase für die Strahlungsbilanz der Erde Leibniz Online Nr. 53, 1-8. DOI:10.53201/LEIBNIZ ONLINE.
[ 3 ]	Ullmann H. and Bülow M. (2024a): The role of greenhouse gases in radiative equilibrium - thermodynamic evaluation. Z. Phys. Chem. 238 (12), 1-9.
[ 4 ]	Ullmann H. und Bülow M. (2025): Zur Physikalischen Chemie des Treibhaus-Effekts. Z. Phys. Chem. 239 (11-12), 1–12.
[ 5 ]	Ullmann H. and Bülow M. (2025a): On the role of trace gases in the earth’s radiation balance-thermodynamic treatment. Therm. Sci. Eng. 2025 8 (2), 10,356. D10.24294/tse10356.
[ 6 ]	Ullmann, H., and Bülow, M. (2026) On the Physical Chemistry of the Greenhouse Effect. J. Natural Sciences Research Vol. 17, No. 1, 2026, 65-73. DOI: 10.7176/JNSR/17-1-06
[ 7 ]	Friedlingstein, P., Jones, M. W., O’Sullivan, M., et al. (2019): Global Carbon Budget Earth Syst. Sci. Data 11 (4), 1783-1838.
[ 8 ]	Rahmstorf S. (2007): Klimawandel - einige Fakten. Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung, Bonn, 7-13. ApuZ 47, Beilage zu Das Parlament.
[ 9 ]	Friedlingstein, P., Jones, M. W., O’Sullivan, M., et al. (2019): Global Carbon Budget Earth Syst. Sci. Data 11 (4), 1783-1838.
[ 10 ]	Resplandy, L., Keeling, R. F., Rödenbeck, C., Stephens, B.B., Khatiwala, S., Rodgers, K.B., Long, M.C., Bopp, L., Tans, P.P. (2018): Revision of global carbon fluxes based on a re-assessment of oceanic and riverine carbon transport: Nature Geoscience 11, Nr. 7, 504-509.
[ 11 ]	IPCC (2021): AR6, Sixth Assessment Peport/Working Group 1, 9 August 2021, p. 700.
[ 12 ]	Rustogi, P., Resplandy, L., Liao, E. Reichl, B. G., & Deike, L. (2025). Influence of wave‐Induced Variability on Ocean Carbon Uptake. Available: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/392812607_Influence_of_Wave Induced_Variability_on_Ocean_Carbon_Uptake [accessed Jun 14 2026].
[ 13 ]	Roduner, E. Osterland, Th. Staniek, P., Natürliche Kohlenstoffsenken nutzen. Nachrichten aus der Chemie 74, Issue 3, März 2026, 35-37.
[ 14 ]	Hönisch, Bärbel et al. (2023): Toward a Cenozoic history of athmosphäric CO2, Science 382, Issue 6675, 1-27.
[ 15 ]	Statista (2024): Energie und Umwelt. Anteil der wichtigsten Energiequellen am weltweiten Primärenergieverbrauch von 2021 bis 2023, https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/258294/umfrage/anteil-der-wichtigsten-energiequellen-am-weltweiten-primaerenergieverbrauch/
[ 16 ]	Pollack, H.N., Hurter, S.J., Johnson, J.R. (1993): Heat flow from the Earth’s interior, Analysis of the global data set, Reviews of Geophysics 31 Nr. 3, 267-280. DOI:10.1029/93rg01249.
[ 17 ]	Parmentola, J. (2021): johnparmentola.com/the-coming-of-a-climate-catastrophe/?_se= ay50YWVnZGVyQHQtb25saW5I&utm_campaign=2021-09-18_CO2_UN_says_only_15_deg_ more_ past_climate_change&utm_medium=email&utm_source=sendinblue.
[ 18 ]	Petit, J.R., Jouzel, J., Raynaud, D., et al. (1999): Climate and atmospheric history of the past 420 000 years from the Vostok ice core Antarctica, Nature 399 429-436.
[ 19 ]	Dansgaard, W., Clausen, H.B., Gundestrup, N. et al. (1992): A New Greenland Deep Ice Core, Science 218, 1273-1277.
[ 20 ]	Petrovic, A. (2009): Revolution and Insolation How Milutin Milankovič has assembled the puzzle of the climate, Scientific Technical Review, Band LIX, Nr. 1.
[ 21 ]	Claussen, M., Dallmeyer, A., Bader, J. (2019): Theory and Modeling oft he African Humid period and the Green Sahara. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Climate Sciense (2017) doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228620.013.532
[ 22 ]	IEA (2026): Global Critical Minerals Outlook, IEA Ministreals Meeting. UNEP-WCMC- Bericht über kritische Mineralien und Herausforderungen im grünen Bergbau. https://www.unep-wcmc.org/en/news/the-green-energy-transition-and-mining
[ 23 ]	Wessling B. (2025): Thermodynamische Analyse der CO2-Entnahme und -Speicherung. Entropie als Kriterium für Nachhaltigkeit. Phys. In unserer Zeit 56 (2), 2–9.