James Davies

We should be managing adaptation and energy abundance not waging war on a rare gas that makes our planet a green paradise. Higher CO₂ is a net benefit to life on Earth. It will not destroy the climate. It will not drive us away from our coastal wonderlands. The Earth is greening at a rate never seen before in recorded history. Satellite records since 1982 show leaf area and grass cover is ballooning. Global crop yields have risen 15-20% since 1960, largely attributable to CO₂ fertilisation. There's been a more than 18% increase in global leaf cover in 40 years, the largest gains in India and China from CO₂ fertilisation. Warmer, more temperatures are lengthening growing seasons, a feature of rising levels of water vapour and cloud cover around the world. Famine deaths have plunged while the world's population doubled. CO₂ deserves much of the credit. CO₂ has recovered from the edge of plant extinction during the glacial maximum 20,000-26,000 years ago, when it fell to 180 ppm. The recovery is due largely to the current warm interglacial period, which led to this explosion in plant life. Science says 600–1000 ppm of CO₂ plus 1 to 2°C extra warming is the ideal 'sweet spot' for land and marine life, including us. Every 100 ppm increase in CO₂ typically boosts plant growth by 25 to 50% in all non-water, limited conditions. An ideal average CO₂ level of 550 ppm delivers a 38% increase in global biomass. Commercial greenhouses are so successful because they pump CO₂ up to 1000–1500 ppm. This ensures crop yields jump by 20–70% depending on the crop. Here is the irony of net zero. No farmer is dropping dead from carbon dioxide poisoning. Net zero would stop this greening miracle in its tracks or slow it down, while frauds like Bill Gates try to feed us steak made from insects in a laboratory. These people seem to hate life. They are a collective drain on western prosperity, leading to further economic collapse and a new mediaeval frontier spreading like the Black Death across Europe.