She welcomes your comments at her email: 0 This guest post is contributed by Mariana Ashley, who writes on the topics of online colleges. When CO2 is framed as an element good for plants in order to dismiss the other existing pieces of evidences that suggest the dangers of global climate change, we are left with an idea that only distracts us from the more pressing issues of our planet's increased loss of balance.
However, at its most basic level, the CO2 plant food argument rests on a simple logical fallacy-the fallacy of exclusion, which focuses on one cause-and-effect (in this case, more CO2 means more plants) to the exclusion of all other cause-and-effect chains. A Climate Denial Crock of the Week video does just that in debunking the CO2 plant food argument. We could discuss the scientific finer points of global climate change and the unlimited effects it could have on global plant growth all day. But even if "CO2 fertilization" occurs, weeds proliferate in tandem with crops, which would only increase the global cost of agriculture.
Presumably the CO2 as plant food enthusiasts offer their argument in an effort to demonstrate the resulting agricultural advantages. To what extent will this happen? For one, the increased density of forest vegetation could increase the risk of wildfires, which have reared their ugly heads in California all too often in the past few years, wreaking devastating damage. Suppose, however, that CO2 does prime plant growth in the world at large. This causes extreme weather in certain geographic locations only sporadically, with overall, balanced rainfall drastically reduced. Another effect of global climate change is erratic precipitation patterns.
With the global increase in temperature caused by the various factors affecting our climate's balance, increased evaporation means decreased soil moisture. Arguably the most important of these elements is water. While CO2 is an important element that stimulates plant growth, the planet's flora requires a cocktail of elements to maintain its health. A rise in CO2 levels is not the only consequence of climate change, and it is these other effects that have had and will have more abiding adverse effects on plant growth around the world. However, the globe is not a controlled environment, and it’s incredible sensitivity to a variety of factors is something that is often taken for granted when such narrow arguments are proffered. In closed, controlled environments, like greenhouses and plant nurseries, an increase in CO2 does indeed spur plant growth. The basic plant food argument is that since plants need CO2 to grow, more CO2 means, by proxy, more sustained and robust plant growth globally.Ī quick look at the science behind this argument demonstrates its inherent weaknesses. House Subcommittee on Energy and Environment hearing in 2009. John Shimkus of Illinois made famous the CO2 as plant food argument during a U.S. And so, too, does ignorance and a little bit of politicking feed inane misconceptions. Skeptical Science New Research for Week #32 2022ĬO2 is Good for Plants: Another Red Herring in the Climate Change Debate Posted on 1 July 2010 by Mariana AshleyĬO2 feeds plants.2022 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #32.Geothermal heating and cooling: Renewable energy’s hidden gem.IPCC Explainer: Mitigation of Climate Change.The deadly connections between climate change and migration.Skeptical Science New Research for Week #33 2022.Halfway point in this year's run of Denial101x - 6 more months to go!.2022 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #33.Remote sensing helps in monitoring arctic vegetation for climate clues.Most bleak federal report yet on high-tide/sunny-day tide floods.Cranky Uncle: a game building resilience against climate misinformation.Skeptical Science New Research for Week #34 2022.2022 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #34.A next-level water crisis: Colorado River Basin faces Tier 2 restrictions.Science: What it is, how it works, and why it matters.What’s going on with the Greenland ice sheet?.Skeptical Science New Research for Week #35 2022.Cranky Uncle getting ever more multi-lingual with Spanish and Portuguese added!.2022 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #35.Methane emissions from Siberian sinkholes.Skeptical Science New Research for Week #36 2022.Reasons to avoid false balance and fake debates.2022 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #36.New study more than triples estimated costs of climate change damages.Food supply and security concerns mount as impacts stress agriculture.Ag’s challenging future in a changing climate.Skeptical Science New Research for Week #37 2022.Home Arguments Software Resources Comments The Consensus Project Translations About Support
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