CO2 Emissions Are Killing the Planet and Other Big Lies

Scientific American reports that the CO₂ fertilization effect in natural ecosystems like forests are very evident. In a set of experiments, scientists artificially doubled CO₂ from pre-industrial levels which “increased trees’ productivity by around 23 percent.”

Francis Moore of the University of California, Davis, says, “For most of the other plants humans eat — including wheat, rice and soybeans — having higher CO₂ will help them directly… Doubling CO₂ from pre-industrial levels does boost the productivity of crops like wheat by some 11.5 percent and of those such as corn by around 8.4 percent.”

Artificially elevating CO₂ levels in greenhouses has proven to be a game changer in many parts of the world. Increasing CO₂ concentrations to more than 1,000 parts per million from the ambient level of about 400 ppm has helped greenhouse farms improve productivity by 20 to 30 percent.

Tomato growers have increased productivity and reduced water demand with CO₂ enhancement. Studies show that elevated CO₂ levels can enable tomatoes to grow in arid climate zones that are prone to droughts. Similarly, lemon trees have demonstrated improved drought resistance with elevated CO₂ levels.

In India, studies showed farmers using greenhouses “were able to grow seven times more food using 90 percent less water when compared to traditional farming.” Eighty-two percent of farmers in India have small-scale operations of less than five acres. For them, greenhouse farms with elevated CO₂ levels can prove to be a life-altering endeavor, especially when the entire greenhouse setup costs just $2,500.

In China, greenhouses have helped farmers rise above poverty. China Daily reports, “The government provides preferential loans … The government also sees to it that quality seeds are given and technicians sent to teach the farmers how to grow vegetables and fruits in greenhouses…. In China, people know that a family that owns a greenhouse must be a family that has bid good-bye to poverty.”

So, greenhouse farms with elevated CO₂ not only reduce farming area, use of pesticides and irrigation needs, but also helps increase productivity. Thanks to elevated CO2 in greenhouses, I can now get fresh and clean tomatoes, bell peppers, chili, lettuce, and other vegetables from greenhouses at the same price as outdoor produce.

I am celebrating CO₂ not just for the greenhouse produce it feeds but for enabling and enriching life on our planet. To demonize this elixir of practically all living things is pure insanity.

This commentary was first published at iPatriot.com, October 28, 2022, and can be accessed here.

Vijay Jayaraj is a Research Associate at the CO2 Coalition, Arlington, Virginia. He holds a master’s degree in environmental sciences from the University of East Anglia, UK, and resides in India.