Higher CO2 levels may be good for plants: German scientists

[seeker_two]

Wait. Let me get this straight. The earth has some self-regulating mechanisms that mean that we're not all going to die in a CO2-induced sauna that will melt our faces off? This is heresy. Someone must control these thoughts.

You need to make another effort to get it all straight. Nothing posted above should have led you to the conclusions that you have drawn.

You mean we ARE going to have our faces melted off?

Not unless you look directly into the Ark......

[RocketMan]

Whoa, there HK.  Granted that you're passionate about the subject, but you might want to rachet it down a tad.

[LAK]

I don't know why they say "CO2 May" be good for plants, when for years greenhouse growers have experimented with high CO2 levels in their greenhouses and everytime the plants just loved it and far exceeded normal growth patterns.

I suspect the soft treading german is concerned about being denigrated by the more popularly orientated scientists.

[zahc]

And just a single eruption of something like Krakatoa completely eclipses every bit of carbon humans have put out since the first campfires. rolleyes

source?

[Iain]

And just a single eruption of something like Krakatoa completely eclipses every bit of carbon humans have put out since the first campfires. rolleyes

source?

 I don't think there is one.

Here are some interesting figures though:

Comparison of CO2 emissions from volcanoes vs. human activities.
Scientists have calculated that volcanoes emit between about 130-230 million tonnes (145-255 million tons) of CO2 into the atmosphere every year (Gerlach, 1999, 1991). This estimate includes both subaerial and submarine volcanoes, about in equal amounts. Emissions of CO2 by human activities, including fossil fuel burning, cement production, and gas flaring, amount to about 27 billion tonnes per year (30 billion tons) [ ( Marland, et al., 2006) - The reference gives the amount of released carbon (C), rather than CO2, through 2003.]. Human activities release more than 130 times the amount of CO2 emitted by volcanoes--the equivalent of more than 8,000 additional volcanoes like Kilauea (Kilauea emits about 3.3 million tonnes/year)! (Gerlach et. al., 2002) - http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/Hazards/What/VolGas/volgas.html

So one eruption would have to output more than 130 times the total regular worldwide volcanic output to match our estimated output in one year (and that's probably decade old figures) alone.

Apparently the idea comes from a Reagan quote.

[Iain]

Might have something here:

The climactic eruption injected approximately 17 Mt of SO2 into the atmosphere (Gerlach and others, this volume), generating atmospheric and climatic effects that are likely to persist for several years (Hansen and others, 1992). Gerlach and others (this volume) concluded that virtually all of this SO2 as well as Cl, CO2, and an appreciable volume of water (approximately 96 Mt) had accumulated prior to eruption in a vapor phase in volatile-saturated magma of a crustal reservoir. A large additional volume (about 6.25 wt%) of water was in solution in the melt phase of the magma reservoir. Gerlach and others estimate that, in addition to the measured 17 Mt of SO2, the eruption of approximately 5 km3 of magma was accompanied by release of at least 491 to 921 Mt of H2O, 3 to 16 Mt of Cl, and 42 to 234 Mt of CO2.

- http://pubs.usgs.gov/pinatubo/wolfe/

That gives a wide range of CO₂ output for the main Pinatubo eruption of 91 (bigger than the Mount St Helens eruption).

Even taking the highest figure - 234 million tonnes. Is that higher or lower than the above given yearly human output of 27 billion tonnes? Tough one. Think we might be done with this?

[Marnoot]

While I don't buy that any current climate change is man-made in cause, this article is interesting. Seems weeds love the increased CO2 far more than "domesticated" plants: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/29/magazine/29weeds-t.html?ref=magazine. Yeah, I know it's the NY Times, still an interesting article if you filter out some of the Scare.

[Firethorn]

You know, this topic is interesting?  I once interviewed a professor/scientist when I was in HS.

His research?  Improving CO2 uptake for plants.  The idea is that for a trip to Mars or even just orbital facilities you'd probably end up with a greenhouse with highly elevated CO2 to O2 levels.

O2 actually 'poisons' the photosynthesis process, so today's plants have evolved many features to combat this.  Thing is, it reduces the efficiency of the plants even in a low to zero oxygen environment, so he was trying to develop plants without some of those features.