{"id":277786,"date":"2023-09-08T11:47:33","date_gmt":"2023-09-08T09:47:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=277786"},"modified":"2023-09-08T11:47:37","modified_gmt":"2023-09-08T09:47:37","slug":"why-co2-is-not-a-pollutant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=277786","title":{"rendered":"Why CO2 is Not a Pollutant"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0From Master Resource<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Robert Bradley Jr.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201c\u2026 the UK Health and Safety Executive has defined safe CO<\/em>2<\/sub>\u00a0limits for the workplace. The limit for long-term exposure is 0.5% (5,000 ppm) but for shorter encounters it is [0.2% (2,000 ppm)]. Anything over that figure is regarded as a risk to human health.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Skeptical Science<\/a>, advertised as \u201cgetting skeptical about global warming skepticism,\u201d posted recently on the question: Is CO2 a pollutant?<\/a> Interestingly, they made the point that carbon dioxide (CO2) is not a pollutant in any sense of the word. Yes, very high concentrations in confined spaces (they provide an example) is deadly, but then so is water in a drowning. But water is not a pollutant either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

John Mason and BaerbelW (?) wrote:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

If you look up the definition of pollution in a dictionary, you will soon realise it\u2019s rather subjective. There are many substances out there that are harmless at certain levels but harmful at others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carbon dioxide is well-mixed in our atmosphere. That\u2019s because when it is emitted, by any mechanism from a vehicle exhaust to a volcanic eruption, it stays in the air for many years. Unlike water, it does not condense and fall back out as rain. Turbulence does a splendid job of mixing it evenly into the air. But there are places on \u2013 and in \u2013 Earth where much higher concentrations of CO2<\/sub> may be encountered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The trouble with CO2<\/sub>\u00a0is that it cannot be seen and neither can it be smelt. In other words we cannot detect it from a safe distance.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In caves and mines, high concentrations of CO2<\/sub>\u00a0are a well-known hazard. They can result from things like rotting timber, oxidising coal and particularly by poor ventilation, where that mixing into the air fails to occur. Because CO2<\/sub>\u00a0is heavier than air<\/em><\/strong>, in poorly ventilated areas underground it may collect into pockets waiting for the unwary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miners or underground explorers breathing a higher than normal concentration of CO2<\/sub> will experience gradually increasing ill effects. It depends on the concentration of the gas. For example the UK Health and Safety Executive has defined safe CO2<\/sub> limits for the workplace. The limit for long-term exposure is 0.5% (5,000 ppm) but for shorter encounters it is 2% [sic \u2026 0.2% (2,000 ppm]<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anything over that figure is regarded as a risk to human health. There have been many accidents and fatalities over the years caused by high concentrations of CO2<\/sub> in underground workings and to a lesser extent in caves. Coal-miners refer to CO2<\/sub> as black- or choke-damp in recognition of the hazard.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The authors continue with a rare example of CO2 asphyxiation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Possibly the worst CO2<\/sub>-related disaster was that of 21 August 1986 at Lake Nyos, in northwestern Cameroon in western Central Africa. The lake, only some 2 x 1 km in size but more than 200 m deep, is one of a number of flooded volcanic vents in a sporadically-active volcanic belt. Carbon dioxide-bearing springs are common in this area and some are present in the lake-bed.\ufeff<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lake Nyos is typically stratified, meaning that normally its waters occur in distinct layers with different chemistry that do not normally mix. In something of a loaded gun scenario, the bottom layer used to become saturated with CO2<\/sub> from those lake-bed springs. On 21st August 1986, something caused an overturning of the lake, meaning the deep CO2<\/sub>-saturated water headed for the surface. Like taking the top off a shaken-up pop bottle, a vast cloud of CO2<\/sub> was instantly released and travelled out from the lake along the ground. At least 1,746 people and 3,500 livestock died instantly from asphyxiation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Modern technology and international cooperation have since been successful in controlling the build-up of CO2<\/sub> in lakes like Nyos. But clearly, in specific circumstances, CO2<\/sub> is as deadly a pollutant as any other.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Comment<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

CO2 is not<\/em> a pollutant in any sort of normal situation\u2013and by a long shot. (Same for water, after all.) So scratch the last sentence of the above: \u201cBut clearly, in specific circumstances, CO2<\/sub> is as deadly a pollutant as any other.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what is conveniently missing for the above, as interesting as the official 5,000\/2,000 ppm estimates are? The other half of the story is that carbon dioxide is just the opposite of a pollutant<\/em>. It is a plant food, a fertilizer so to speak, with a long way to go in the current buildup of atmospheric concentration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Century 21 is shaping up to be the Century of the Plants, the Century of Global Greening, a story for another day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Century 21 is shaping up to be the Century of the Plants, the Century of Global Greening, a story for another day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":277791,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691818076,691822252,691818087,691822406],"class_list":{"0":"post-277786","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-co2","9":"tag-global-greening","10":"tag-global-warming","11":"tag-no-pollutant","13":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/0carbon-dioxide.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1agq","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":339825,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=339825","url_meta":{"origin":277786,"position":0},"title":"Dear Elon, 1,000ppm of carbon dioxide is safe, we breathe it every day","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"17\/08\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"In the interview with Donald Trump, Elon Musk tried to argue that we ought be limiting carbon dioxide because we are too close to 1,000ppm where people get headaches. Not to put too fine a point on it, but we breath out air at 40,000 ppm fifteen times a minute\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"1000-1100 ppm\"","block_context":{"text":"1000-1100 ppm","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=1000-1100-ppm"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/0-human-health-effect-i.e.-acidosis.jpeg?fit=1000%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/0-human-health-effect-i.e.-acidosis.jpeg?fit=1000%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/0-human-health-effect-i.e.-acidosis.jpeg?fit=1000%2C500&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/0-human-health-effect-i.e.-acidosis.jpeg?fit=1000%2C500&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":394689,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=394689","url_meta":{"origin":277786,"position":1},"title":"On the CO2 Fertilization Effect (real science for EPA)","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"12\/08\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cWhat would happen if CO2 doubled from the current approximately 400 ppm in the atmosphere to 800 ppm? Crop yields worldwide would increase by about 40%, based on empirical findings of how CO2 concentrations affect crop yields.\u201d","rel":"","context":"In \"benefits\u00a0of CO2\"","block_context":{"text":"benefits\u00a0of CO2","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=benefits-of-co2-2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AQMYOsAm4YGxnpSC6oNEFMGuagorN22lYvyeazZ6H3T2KEwMy8gu2K1vJGIBIZHYkBxd0ivlJ5WksS2S3OAlHAhu9R12ypvhk14ebTTL_LIT-xBOhXq00BNAAGROiwIWiIUxGnzXmHN3-sPkaOI514jhNwyDJw.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AQMYOsAm4YGxnpSC6oNEFMGuagorN22lYvyeazZ6H3T2KEwMy8gu2K1vJGIBIZHYkBxd0ivlJ5WksS2S3OAlHAhu9R12ypvhk14ebTTL_LIT-xBOhXq00BNAAGROiwIWiIUxGnzXmHN3-sPkaOI514jhNwyDJw.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AQMYOsAm4YGxnpSC6oNEFMGuagorN22lYvyeazZ6H3T2KEwMy8gu2K1vJGIBIZHYkBxd0ivlJ5WksS2S3OAlHAhu9R12ypvhk14ebTTL_LIT-xBOhXq00BNAAGROiwIWiIUxGnzXmHN3-sPkaOI514jhNwyDJw.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AQMYOsAm4YGxnpSC6oNEFMGuagorN22lYvyeazZ6H3T2KEwMy8gu2K1vJGIBIZHYkBxd0ivlJ5WksS2S3OAlHAhu9R12ypvhk14ebTTL_LIT-xBOhXq00BNAAGROiwIWiIUxGnzXmHN3-sPkaOI514jhNwyDJw.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AQMYOsAm4YGxnpSC6oNEFMGuagorN22lYvyeazZ6H3T2KEwMy8gu2K1vJGIBIZHYkBxd0ivlJ5WksS2S3OAlHAhu9R12ypvhk14ebTTL_LIT-xBOhXq00BNAAGROiwIWiIUxGnzXmHN3-sPkaOI514jhNwyDJw.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":317245,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=317245","url_meta":{"origin":277786,"position":2},"title":"Scientists Selectively Reject CO2 Measurements That Do Not Align With The Human-Caused Narrative","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"10\/04\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Reconstructions of paleo CO2 levels openly rely on data derived from plant stomata. But when modern (1800s-present) CO2 measurements from stomata conflict with the narrative that humans drive CO2 levels, they are patently rejected.","rel":"","context":"In \"anthropogenic emissions\"","block_context":{"text":"anthropogenic emissions","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=anthropogenic-emissions"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/013_infographic_co2.jpg?fit=1200%2C848&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/013_infographic_co2.jpg?fit=1200%2C848&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/013_infographic_co2.jpg?fit=1200%2C848&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/013_infographic_co2.jpg?fit=1200%2C848&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/013_infographic_co2.jpg?fit=1200%2C848&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":383373,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=383373","url_meta":{"origin":277786,"position":3},"title":"Celebrate \u2013 CO2 Levels Just Hit 430ppm","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"15\/06\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The gas of life is greening the deserts, contributing to rising agricultural yields and making the far North more habitable \u2013 but you would never learn this from mainstream media.","rel":"","context":"In \"benefit to all life\"","block_context":{"text":"benefit to all life","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=benefit-to-all-life"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/0Global_greening_map1.png?fit=1200%2C480&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/0Global_greening_map1.png?fit=1200%2C480&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/0Global_greening_map1.png?fit=1200%2C480&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/0Global_greening_map1.png?fit=1200%2C480&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/0Global_greening_map1.png?fit=1200%2C480&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":193683,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=193683","url_meta":{"origin":277786,"position":4},"title":"Atmospheric Physicist: CO2 Explains 0.1\u00b0C Of 1975-2000 Warming \u2013 \u2018One Fifth of The IPCC Assumption\u2019","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"28\/03\/2022","format":false,"excerpt":"A new study uses existing temperature and CO2 records and albedo\/natural variability attribution to suggest most of the recent warming is natural. The climate sensitivity to CO2 forcing is just over 0.2\u00b0C for a 100-ppm concentration increase. Dr. Syun-Ichi Akasofu is an \u201cexpert in aurora physics, solar physics, geophysics, and\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/0Screenshot-2022-03-28-222724.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/0Screenshot-2022-03-28-222724.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/0Screenshot-2022-03-28-222724.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/0Screenshot-2022-03-28-222724.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":394906,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=394906","url_meta":{"origin":277786,"position":5},"title":"Another Eye-Roller of a Climate Study","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"13\/08\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"From the \u201cWhy do we care that agricultural pests can\u2019t lay eggs properly? \u2013 Oh wait, we don\u2019t!\u201d department\u2026and\u00a0Eurekalert.","rel":"","context":"In \"carbon dioxide (CO\u2082)\"","block_context":{"text":"carbon dioxide (CO\u2082)","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=carbon-dioxide-co%e2%82%82"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AQOfkd6UTh06r19sAIITcV0WnBpItcTDIrPR7FcFHsp0SKCOf7TfvK8BqgIVy13UyugSRzSbob6cOGOxR9Lkc6ykoJFx6AER7bSL-01QThGh3agANwnHcsf-jZbjsEhmMKQtLrLcl-PDKqj93eGtCzVIag.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AQOfkd6UTh06r19sAIITcV0WnBpItcTDIrPR7FcFHsp0SKCOf7TfvK8BqgIVy13UyugSRzSbob6cOGOxR9Lkc6ykoJFx6AER7bSL-01QThGh3agANwnHcsf-jZbjsEhmMKQtLrLcl-PDKqj93eGtCzVIag.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AQOfkd6UTh06r19sAIITcV0WnBpItcTDIrPR7FcFHsp0SKCOf7TfvK8BqgIVy13UyugSRzSbob6cOGOxR9Lkc6ykoJFx6AER7bSL-01QThGh3agANwnHcsf-jZbjsEhmMKQtLrLcl-PDKqj93eGtCzVIag.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AQOfkd6UTh06r19sAIITcV0WnBpItcTDIrPR7FcFHsp0SKCOf7TfvK8BqgIVy13UyugSRzSbob6cOGOxR9Lkc6ykoJFx6AER7bSL-01QThGh3agANwnHcsf-jZbjsEhmMKQtLrLcl-PDKqj93eGtCzVIag.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AQOfkd6UTh06r19sAIITcV0WnBpItcTDIrPR7FcFHsp0SKCOf7TfvK8BqgIVy13UyugSRzSbob6cOGOxR9Lkc6ykoJFx6AER7bSL-01QThGh3agANwnHcsf-jZbjsEhmMKQtLrLcl-PDKqj93eGtCzVIag.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/277786","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=277786"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/277786\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":277794,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/277786\/revisions\/277794"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/277791"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=277786"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=277786"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=277786"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}