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New research shows oxygen depletion in the atmosphere has been accelerating since 2003, coinciding with the biofuels boom.
The Institute of Science in Society (SiS) which published the research says that climate policies that focus exclusively on carbon sequestration could be disastrous for all oxygen-breathing organisms including humans.
Sadly, action to tackle climate change mitigating policies are almost all aimed at reducing CO2 without considering other climate change factors.
Dr. Mae-Wan Ho who compiled the research, reports that within the past several years, scientists have found that oxygen (O2) in the atmosphere has been dropping, and at higher rates than just the amount that goes into the increase of CO2 from burning fossil fuels, some 2 to 4-times as much, and accelerating since 2002-2003. Simultaneously, oxygen levels in the world’s oceans have also been falling. Although the causes for the sudden acceleration in oxygen depletion are yet unclear, changes to natural ecosystems through deforestation and the expansion of agriculture could be playing a significant role.
It is becoming clear, the institute says, that reducing CO2 emissions is not enough; oxygen has its own dynamic and the rapid decline in atmospheric O2 must also be addressed. Although there is much more O2 than CO2 in the atmosphere – 20.95 percent or 209 460 ppm of O2 compared with around 380 ppm of CO2 – humans, all mammals, birds, frogs, butterfly, bees, and other air-breathing life-forms depend on this high level of oxygen for their well being.
In humans, failure of oxygen energy metabolism is the single most important risk factor for chronic diseases including cancer and death. ‘Oxygen deficiency’ is currently set at 19.5 percent in enclosed spaces for health and safety below that, fainting and death may result.
The simultaneous decrease in ocean oxygen not only threatens the survival of aerobic marine organisms, but is symptomatic of the slow-down in the ocean’s thermohaline ‘conveyor belt’ circulation system that transports heat from the tropics to the poles, overturns surface layers of into the deep and vice versa, redistributing nutrients and gases for the ocean biosphere, and regulating rainfall and temperatures on the landmasses. Changes to the thermohaline could wipe out the ocean’s phytoplankton that’s ultimately responsible for splitting water to regenerate oxygen for the entire biosphere, on land and in the sea.
Read the full article here: http://www.i-sis.org.uk/O2DroppingFasterThanCO2Rising.php
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Oxygen depletion as important as CO2 increases, scientist says: | Sourced From Thegreencarwebsite.co.uk .. http://bit.ly/Ap8ig
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CarbonOffsetsDaily.com: Oxygen depletion as important as CO2 increases, scientist says http://bit.ly/14Joo2 Full http://bit.ly/eWcxV
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Life itself is dying! The rhetorical tautologies continue…
So what is the rate of depletion and the current amount?
Or is this to important to be left to numbers and science?
Since most people can become acclimated to life at 10,000 ft altitude in 1 to 3 days, where there is approximately 30 per cent less oxygen, why would we not become acclimated to a 10 percent drop in oxygen at sea level?
Next mega-ecoscare? Oxygen depletion. Man-made, of course http://tiny.cc/xbp5L
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Where is the data? Over what time scale was it collected? What was the methodology used to analyse this data? Scare stories must be backed up with facts not myth or poor science!
Fortunately, I have a solution to the oxygen shortage. Increase CO2 output, which generates bigger and more plant growth, and you will have more foliage that consumes CO2 and generates oxygen. Nature’s repsonse to CO2 is more plant life and more food. Drive a Hummer for humanity.
So if we stop inhaling, that will take care of the O2 shortage. Then we stop exhaling and that takes care of the CO2 over-abundance. Problem solved.
lol? Common, you gotta try harder. This is just tarded.
Roger, stop using logic will you. Don’t you realize that someone’s research grant hangs in the balance!
Really! Where is ‘Chicken Little’ when you need him! With the supposed increase in CO2 there is more available for photosynthesis, so more CO2 will be turned into O2. You can’t have it both ways ‘Big Al!’
Reply to Colin: With increased CO2 there is less photosynthesis available due to deforestation. Wake up!
Have you ever experienced a deep breath? I have, several times a day. Taking deep breath is a sign of hypoxia (lack of oxygen), the cause of which is due to the profligate wastage of that precious life-sustaining element. Reforestation seems to have done little good. It takes too long for a tree to grow, why not plant fields of kudzu?
To Roger H: Most people? Who says? Please back up your statement with authoritative research. I look forward to reading it. However, to speak of a 10% reduction of oxygen in the atmosphere is meaningless. There has already been a 75% reduction since the time of oxygen abundance and the current expectation is that in the foreseeable future, the oxygen level will drop world wide to 7%, which will not support biological life. My authorities are Mark and Brownlee, “Rare Planet.”
John Marshall: Your question Where is the data? implies there is none. Seems like something a pseudo-scientist might ask. Data on oxygen depletion is abundant. For example, you could look at “Rare Planet” by Mark and Brownlee and check out some of their references.