“Preference for warmer regions has been a key determinant of internal population shifts in the United States and other industrialized countries in the post-World War II era. Internal migrations toward the Sunbelt have been eased by science and technology developments that, for example, cooled torrid summer air and controlled malaria in the South, and along the Gulf coast.” (National Academy of Sciences, below)
The mainstream media war against the green greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide (CO2), cannot negate the most settled part of the climate change debate. Into the 1990s, it was accepted practice to present the scientific consensus of the beneficial qualities of CO2 on the planet. Given its relevance for today’s debate, it is worth revisiting the National Academy of Sciences, et al., Policy Implications of Greenhouse Warming (Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 1992).
Some quotations follow:
“Enriching the atmosphere to 600 ppm CO2 should increase all yields, especially plants with a photosynthesis like wheat that responds sharply to more CO2. It should close the gap between wheat and corn. It should especially favor the many plants in the natural landscape that have a responsive photosynthesis like wheat.” (p. 552)
Where ones with responsive photosynthesis compete with ones with unresponsive photosynthesis, the enrichment with CO2 should make the former more competitive. It should slow evaporation and save water. By speeding photosynthesis and slowing evaporation, CO2 should increase the efficiency of the use of water, the tons of yield per 1000 m3 of evaporation.” (p. 552)
“Preference for warmer regions has been a key determinant of internal population shifts in the United States and other industrialized countries in the post-World War II era. Internal migrations toward the Sunbelt have been eased by science and technology developments that, for example, cooled torrid summer air and controlled malaria in the South, and along the Gulf coast. (pp. 622-23)
“Human adaptability is shown by people working in both Riyadh and Barrow and seeking out both Minneapolis and Galveston. Recent American migration has on average been toward warmth.” (p. 502)
“In societies like the United States, most adaptation to changing climate takes place through decentralized individual reactions to social, economic, and political signals.” (pp. 511-12)
The same remains true today. Geoscience consultant Randal Utech has posted the following:
Some interesting facts on CO2. The trace gas of life is very beneficial. CO2 is greening the earth and feeding the hungry. CO2 has not been proven to ‘drive’ climate change except as conveyed by the models which remain erroneous and incomplete. We are near the lowest level of CO2 over earth history. The secondary feedback heating effect of CO2 is limited by the IR logarithmic forcing law and is nearly saturated at current levels. The earth never had runaway heating even at 10x-20x current levels of CO2. Interesting that most plants evolved at levels averaging near 1200 ppm or roughly 3x current levels.
Desert greening; Plant fertilizer higher than expected; CO2 reducing plant water needs; CO2 sink;
Greening observed by NASA; NASA – greening mitigates warming; More food production;
CO2 over earth history; Logarithmic forcing
And Craig Idso penned these article at MasterResource:
The Many Benefits of Rising Atmospheric CO2 — An Introduction (April 6, 2022)
“Atmospheric carbon dioxide: you can’t see, hear, smell or taste it. But it’s there—all around us—and it’s crucial for life…. Ironically, far too many demonize and falsely label this important atmospheric trace gas a pollutant. Nothing could be further from the truth. Instead of being shunned like the plague, the ongoing rise in CO2 should be welcomed with open arms.”
Increased Plant Productivity: The First Key Benefit of Atmospheric CO2 Enrichment (April 21, 2022)
“Based on the numerous experiments listed there, I can tell you that, typically, a 300-ppm increase in the air’s CO2 content … will raise the productivity of most herbaceous plants by about one-third, which stimulation is generally manifested by an increase in the number of branches and tillers, more and thicker leaves, more extensive root systems, and more flowers and fruit.”
CO2 Enrichment Improves Plant Water-Use Efficiency (May 20, 2022)
“In basic terms, plant water-use efficiency is the amount of biomass produced by a plant per unit of water lost via transpiration…. Most plants experience water-use efficiency gains on the order of 70 to 100%–or more—for a doubling of atmospheric CO2 (see and read reviews of multiple peer-reviewed studies under subheadings of Water-Use Efficiency here on my CO2 Science website).
Elevated CO2 and the Enhancement of Plant Medicinal Properties (June 9, 2022)
“… elevated CO2 significantly increased the production of carbohydrates, proteins, fats and crude fibers in caraway, as well as organic and amino acids, regardless of growth stage (sprout or mature plants). Higher CO2 also enhanced plant mineral content, vitamins and phenolics, as well as antioxidant and antibacterial activities.”
CO2: Negating Ozone for Plant Productivity (June 28, 2022)
“Tropospheric ozone (O3) is a gaseous air pollutant that results from incomplete combustion of fossil fuels. It negatively affects plant growth…. However, the situation may not be as bad as it seems, especially when the positive effects of atmospheric CO2 enrichment on plant growth and yield are factored in, which typically reduce or fully negate plant cell damage from ozone.”
Elevated CO2 Reduces Temperature Stress in Plants (July 20, 2022)
“So when the next summer heat wave arrives along with all the negative spin stories demonizing CO2 as its cause, I hope you will remember this post and the numerous scientific studies proving rising CO2 levels helps plants better withstand and recover from temperature-induced stresses. And when you do remember this, please share it with others!”
Ocean Acidification Cut Down to Size (August 22, 2022)
“Ocean acidification and warming concerns, however, are vastly overstated and generally far out of touch with reality. In almost every instance, the predicted degree of harm is exaggerated due to improper scenario inputs that utilize the most extreme scenarios of future temperature and seawater pH. Furthermore, their projections fail to take into account the ability of species to acclimate and adapt, both within and across generations.”
Current and Rising Atmospheric CO2 Concentrations Pose No Threat to Human Health (October 3, 2022)
“Atmospheric CO2 is not causing, nor will it ever cause, a direct threat to your health or cognitive performance. CO2 levels would need to increase some 36 times above the present concentration before they would even begin to pose a mild health concern.”
The Dangers of Low Atmospheric CO2 Concentrations (November 1, 2022)
“CO2 literally is the ‘food’ that sustains essentially all plants (and animals who consume plants, including humans) on the face of the Earth. And when that food supply is diminished, nature begins to diminish.”