[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/EW-07-12-13-CO2-Misinformation.mp3|titles=EW 07-12-13 CO2 Misinformation]
A few weeks ago, an editorial appeared in the Wall Street Journal, entitled “In Defense of Carbon Dioxide.” Citing how carbon dioxide stimulates the growth of plants, the authors ask us to lighten up on our criticisms of rising carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere, where it will lead to global warming.
The article provides a clear description of how higher levels of carbon dioxide increase the rate of plant photosynthesis and lower plant water use. Both responses are expected to increase crop yield to help feed a rising global population.
What the article doesn’t include is perhaps as significant as what it does. Nowhere does it mention studies conducted 30 years ago, showing that CO2 above about 700 ppm causes starch build up in plant chloroplasts, leading to their rupture and loss of photosynthetic capability.
Nowhere does it mention that with the climate changes induced by high carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, winters will be warmer, the over-winter survival of crop pests and pathogens will be greater, and crop yields lower from these effects.
Nowhere does it mention that the greater evaporation of water from soils in a warmer climate is likely to lead to widespread drought, especially in some of the breadbasket areas of today’s agriculture.
Unfortunately, this article is typical of the one-sided arguments that are so often presented by those interested in the pursuit of the status quo. It is an example of why we should look carefully and read widely before making up our mind about global climate change.
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Photo, taken on August 27, 2012, courtesy of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center via Flickr.
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