Quote from: rocks on June 18, 2015, 09:28:53 PM

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Edit:
http://news.heartland.org/newspaper-article/2015/03/20/why-i-am-climate-change-skeptic

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Human Emissions Saved Planet

Over the past 150 million years, carbon dioxide had been drawn down steadily (by plants) from about 3,000 parts per million to about 280 parts per million before the Industrial Revolution. If this trend continued, the carbon dioxide level would have become too low to support life on Earth. Human fossil fuel use and clearing land for crops have boosted carbon dioxide from its lowest level in the history of the Earth back to 400 parts per million today.

At 400 parts per million, all our food crops, forests, and natural ecosystems are still on a starvation diet for carbon dioxide. The optimum level of carbon dioxide for plant growth, given enough water and nutrients, is about 1,500 parts per million, nearly four times higher than today. Greenhouse growers inject carbon-dioxide to increase yields. Farms and forests will produce more if carbon-dioxide keeps rising.

We have no proof increased carbon dioxide is responsible for the earths slight warming over the past 300 years. There has been no significant warming for 18 years while we have emitted 25 per cent of all the carbon dioxide ever emitted. Carbon dioxide is vital for life on Earth and plants would like more of it. Which should we emphasize to our children?

Lots of luck with that. Most carbon is locked up in rocks:

I think that what has primarily happened is that some fraction of capable people got married to the Malthain idea that there are to many humans and they need to be off'd if they cannot be controlled by various 'injunctive' measures. Of course, being capable they are able to control the thought patterns of many more (e.g., our friend Zarathustra here.)

The earth fell flat on it's promise to starve the masses out of existence. So far. The idea is so nice, though, that it is hard to part with. Various kinds of propaganda and other more concrete measures are called for. That they can increase the wealth and control already enjoyed by those who are the primary drivers of this thing probably contributes significant impulse to the project.