Volcanic Discharges

Fair enough. I forget where I read this ... somewhere ... that when Mt. St. Helens erupted it spewed more CO2 into the atmosphere in one day than all of mankind did in the last 100 years. I don't know if that's strictly true, but it would not surprise me.

I don't think thats true. I wouldn't know whether to be surprised or not though, where do you get the knowledge to be not surprised from? :)

INFLUENCE ON THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT:

Volcanic eruptions can enhance global warming by adding CO2 to the atmosphere. However, a far greater amount of CO2 is contributed to the atmosphere by human activities each year than by volcanic eruptions. Volcanoes contribute about 110 million tons/year, whereas other sources contribute about 10 billion tons/year. The small amount of global warming caused by eruption-generated greenhouse gases is offset by the far greater amount of global cooling caused by eruption-generated particles in the stratosphere (the haze effect). Greenhouse warming of the earth has been particularly evident since 1980. Without the cooling influence of such eruptions as El Chichon (1982) and Mt. Pinatubo (1991), described below, greenhouse warming would have been more pronounced

Source: http://www.geology.sdsu.edu/how_volcanoes_work/climate_effects.html

This appears to be backed up by the Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcano

Volcanic activity releases about 130 to 230 teragrams (145 million to 255 million short tons) of carbon dioxide each year.

And it's pretty easy to get the human CO2 emissions estimate from a number of places.

I have no axe to grind either way, I'm just looking for the truth. Like I said, I believe that it's too early to say whether human CO2 emissions have caused the climate change we are experiencing, they may have a neglible or zero effect for all I know. But I don't think the Mt. St Helens thing is correct. I guess it could be used by others who have come to the conclusion that it's NOT human emissions causing Global Warming to write it on the web somewhere to further their agenda, whatever that might be. I still say we have to investigate all claims though.

I will respond on your other points later .. I'm off to pick up my daughter now!