From the Chicago Field Museum Climate Exhibit: CO2 makes Poison Ivy grow. Yes, but what about the millions of other plants in the biosphere that is booming? What about agriculture? I really resent this sort of one sided presentation foisted on children that won’t know any better.
Watch this YouTube video showing how a Cowpea plant responds to increased CO2 levels. Most any plant will react in much the same way:
And it gets worse.
Kids can now buy Carbon Credits at the museum from the flatlining Chicago Climate Exchange, which Gore and Pachauri are advisers for.
They may as well just throw their money down the toilet as CCX is now in EPIC FAIL mode. Sure, take money from the kids, why not?
The months of flatlining at the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) should be a hint to the rest of the world that carbon trading is dead. Time to take it off life support. Even at 10 cents a ton, nobody wants it. At it’s peak in July 2008, it traded for $7.50 per ton of CO2.
Chicago Climate Exchange close on June 30th, 2010 – click for source
See who is on the CCX advisory board here
And there is lot’s more. How ’bout that Malaria Myth?
The Field exhibit promotes the theory that global warming will cause increased
incidence of malaria. Thatʼs a powerful scare story – global warming, then malaria in
Chicago. In the early days of settlement there was a lot of malaria in the Midwest.
According to the Mackinac Center for Public Policy:
Willis F. Dunbar in “Michigan: A History of the Wolverine State,” writes that the disease “was so prevalent that it was rather unusual to escape it.”
According the Paul Reiter, a malaria expert, malaria was a serious problem in Britain during the very cold period in the 1600ʼs known as the little ice age. Malaria, called ague, was mentioned 13 times in Shakespeareʼs plays.
Experts on malaria and other mosquito borne diseases have been fighting a losing battle with global warming believers. The idea that global warming will promote malaria is too good a scare story to let the facts get in the way. Nine malaria experts published a letter in the June, 2004 Lancet with the title: “Global warming and malaria: a call for accuracy.”
Above: Malaria endemicity in 1900 (a, top) and 2007 (b, middle) by increasing severity category. The difference in endemicity (c, bottom) from 1900 to 2007 indicates worsening malaria in red areas and improvements in blue (Gething et al., 2010).
If you give this issue a moment of thought, this result should be obvious. Of course malaria is not as bad now as it was 100 years ago. Global health interventions have reduced the problem significantly.
We covered it here on WUWT.
Gore, like the Field Museum, still pushes the factual errors associated with this. See here.
You can read all about the Chicago Field Museum Climate Exhibit in a July 5th walk through report (PDF) by Norman Rogers of www.climateviews.com who has now earned a place in my blogroll. Some of the other exhibit photos are similarly stunningly stupid.
h/t to Tom Nelson
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The good professor states: ” They are being shown that co2 is a toxin
I must have missed this. Have you got an exact source for this wonderful piece of misinformation.
No… I thought not. There isn’t one, because no-one is actually saying that all CO2 is bad.
Just like most CO2 lovers – when the facts don’t match, just make up some new ones!”
As you well know there has been a concerted and determined campaign by alarmists to paint human produced atmospheric carbon dioxide as a pollutant and by extention all CO2.
For years now the fanatical jihad against a harmless trace gas has been a central plank of the AGW industry, the US government are even classifying it as a pollutant. The fact is that the alarmist media campaign has pimped falsehoods as facts and lies as reality.
If you are going to make a critical comment about another posters views it might help if you checked your facts beforehand. I have never seen any pro AGW media output that has put a positive case for CO2, all the benefits are hidden and the fabricated dangers have been flogged to death.
I know in fact that you know that the only reason that CO2 is being pimped as a pollutant because it is a convenient mechanism to ration fossil fuels, it is a cold hard fact that the supposed dangers of CO2 are simply an excuse by carpet bagger crooks to cash in on the CT fraud coupled with a hysterical political movement determined to de industrialise the west. In fact your assertion that some CO2 is bad and other CO2 is not so bad is clearly a ludicrous anti scientific nonsense, atmospheric carbon dioxide is classified as one gas alone, not two. Otherwise it might be called CO2E(evil) or
CO2W(wonderful).
When I see a fair representation of the critical benefits of CO2 to all of humanity and animal life then I will accept your point.
Pamela Gray says:
July 18, 2010 at 7:15 am
“Did anyone else catch Yes But’s inadvertent argument AGAINST CO2 causing poison ivy to grow faster?”
You’re right. LOL. He should take that to the museum and tell’em they got it wrong.
What next? Is the IRS going to audit kids allowances and make them pay taxes?
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pgosselin says:
…Do you ever wake up at night and wonder if the future of the country will get past all this? We’re talking some serious organised, widespread North Korean-style brainwashing here.
___________________________________________________________
YES, and it has been giving me nightmares.
If you want to see just how organized and for how long check out the very well documented History, HACCP and the Food Safety Con Job
“…the Committee for Economic Development, was officially established in 1942 as a sister organization to the Council on Foreign Relations…. In its 1945 report Agriculture in an Expanding Economy, CED complained that “the excess of human resources engaged in agriculture is probably the most important single factor in the˜farm problem’ and describes how agricultural production can be better organized to fit to business needs”…
That statement got me to thinking. The Grace Report to President Reagan states “…100 percent of what is collected is absorbed solely by interest on the Federal debt and by Federal Government contributions to transfer payments. In other words, all individual income tax revenues are gone before one nickel is spent on the services which taxpayers expect from their Government….” (Translated: the Federal Reserve Banks get all our tax dollars)
In the fifties I remember the local doctor in my rural town telling my Mom how he got paid for his services with eggs, veggies, a slab of home cured bacon… None of this “trade” would be taxed and the bankers would not get their levy on the serfs (farmers) labor. Therefore they would want as few untaxable farmers as possible. Factory wages on the other hand are taxed BEFORE the worker sees them. Also since the worker does not have the pain of handing over his wages to the government as a small business person does, he will not be as opposed to further tax hikes. Therefore the more peole who become wage slaves, the more revenue is generated for the banks. Bankers DO NOT want small businesses.
Corporations, the other half of the Committee for Economic Development, want a large labor pool to chose from. The more workers, the more competition, the lower the wage they have to pay. The CEOs also want a ready market for their products. Farm folk are notorious for making their own and being self sufficient. the “Green Revolution” and the re-educating of farmers by the USDA extension programs was necessary to convince the farmers to mortgage their land to buy “modern farm equipment” and get rid of their self-sufficiency. It also lead to bankruptcy and consolidation of farms into corporate farms.
“..Over the next five years, the political and economic establishment ensured the reduction of excess human resources engaged in agriculture by two million, or by 1/3 of their previous number.
Their plan was so effective and so faithfully executed by its operatives in the US government that by 1974 the CED couldn’t help but congratulate itself…
The human cost of CED’s plans were exacting and enormous.
CED’s plans resulted in widespread social upheaval throughout rural America, ripping apart the fabric of its society destroying its local economies. They also resulted in a massive migration to larger cities. The loss of a farm also means the loss of identity, and many farmers’ lives ended in suicide [6], not unlike farmers in India today who have been tricked into debt and desperation and can see no other way out…”
This is why CAGW has to be looked at not only scientifically but in the context of history. The CED’s plans which have become government policy since WWII have already been proven to put money into the pockets of the wealthy at the cost of human lives and well being. I am a capitalist, but this type of manipulation is not capitalism it is Corporatism
Where is the honor of this museum board and curator to spin lies like this?
It really is ironic that a banker or a real estate broker or anybody else in the public trust can be disciplined and even go to jail for fraud and even misrepresentation, but yet this is allowed.
Where is their honor?
Are they too stupid to realize they are breaching their honor, or is it something more sinister?
Chris
Norfolk, VA, USA
“Mike McMillan says:
July 18, 2010 at 6:22 am
Not the worst embarrassment to come from Chicago recently, not by a long shot.”
Ain’t that the truth…are we seeing a theme here?
JimB
Where is their honor?
Taking their cues from the lead “scientists” in the cause, I guess….from Mann, Hansen, et al…and their henchmen like Gore And Pauchuri…who say, in effect:
[With wringing hands and loosening sweating collars.]
“It doesn’t matter if what we say is true or not. We just have to save the planet.”
So you will “save the planet”, at the expense of your own honor?
And at the expense of truth and the public goodwill when it comes to matters of science?
For shame Field Museum, and others like you.
The bright side is…once the misinformation is thought through…it goes to the dust bin where it belongs.
[Or the recycle container, LOL].
Chris
Norfolk, VA, USA
Yes but…
…wants peer reviewed papers. He doesn’t understand that most peer reviewed papers in every discipline eventually turn out to be wrong. In climate peer review no doubt the ratio is even higher, given the corruption of the process.
But if peer reviewed papers make ‘Yes but’ happy, who am I to deny him? This page has plenty of peer reviewed papers.
In the final analysis ‘Yes but’ is giving himself an unnecessary wedgie; CO2’s effect on temperature is so small that it is inconsequential. There are many other factors that are much more important than a minor trace gas, whose only measurable effect is to raise agricultural productivity. The planet needs more CO2, not less.
OT – scathing piece on the Mann ‘exoneration’:
http://tribune-democrat.com/editorials/x536265709/Penn-State-s-integrity-crisis
Nice post. Very informative. Hence why I currently am not too focused on the side effects of AGW, but maintain my focus on looking at the evidence for it being a real phenomenon. The long term reduction of Arctic Sea ice, ocean acidification are direct effects and can be readily observed, but predicting the outbreaks or spread of malaria or even the downfall of any specific species because of AGW is to much of a stretch in IMO. Not that those things might not happen, but predicting them with so many other factors involved leaves the world of science and crosses over into politics.
It is standard industry practice to enrich greenhouses with CO2, for it has been well established that doing so significantly boosts plant production. No health problems to date, no nutritional deficiencies, no adverse reactions, and no outbreaks of poisoning have been associated with the resulting produce.
“Enriching greenhouses with supplemental CO2 has enabled tomato growers in British Columbia, Canada to exceed annual fruit yields of 70 kg (per square metre)”
http://www.cababstractsplus.org/abstracts/Abstract.aspx?AcNo=20043153549
“..the biggest propagator of tomato, cucumber and pepper plants in the U.K….uses pure CO2 enrichment…for optimal growth.”
http://www.plantraisers.co.uk/
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Yes but says:
July 18, 2010 at 2:14 am
It’s always interesting of course that WUWT always seems to never give the full story.
(1) never report the results of Free Air Carbon Dioxide Experiments (FACE) which show much less response than the beloved cowpea in a luxurious environment showing none of Liebig’s minima.
(2) CO2 isn’t Jack’s beanstalk – not enough water – doesn’t matter….
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You can nitpick and cherry-pick a few minor examples, but on balance CO2 is a harmless and beneficial minor trace gas, essential to all life on Earth. More is better.
Trying to demonize “carbon” is self-hatred; you are made from carbon.
Here, get educated:….
_______________________________________
You throw out the statement” WUWT always seems to never give the full story.” without even bothering to do your homework. This is the type of selective blindness that characterizes the “consensus” side of the debate. WUWT is not just the title story, actually the title story is the least part of WUWT, it is the open debate that follows that is the most important part yet that is the part detractors always ignore.
All the points you have brought up are old news at this site. Try reading a few older posts and comments before commenting next time. You can start here there are lots more where CO2 and plants are mentioned in the comment section:
Now it’s more CO2 that will threaten crops: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2010/05/14/now-its-more-co2-that-will-threaten-crops/
New ground truth: soil microbe negative feedback: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2010/04/28/new-ground-truth-microbiotic-negative-feedback/
High CO2 boosts plant respiration, potentially affecting climate and crops: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/02/09/high-co2-boosts-plant-respiration-potentially-affecting-climate-and-crops/
CO2, Temperatures, and Ice Ages: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/01/30/co2-temperatures-and-ice-ages/
Just like that bad cartoon that Andy Revkin found “cool” ( http://www.frankejames.com/debate/?p=1138 ) artists should definitively stay away from science.
REPLY: I used to think that Andy Revkin was a reasonable guy with a relatively open mind, now I see that he was just being professionally courteous. – Anthony
R. Gates says:
July 18, 2010 at 8:06 am
“The long term reduction of Arctic Sea ice, ocean acidification are direct effects and can be readily observed….”
=============================
Ocean Acidification? Hahahahaha
Yeah we are all familiar with your sea ice scare…..but
You can not “readily” produce any observations/cause and effect….for either.
As usual, your posts are laced with unscientific [and very political]….assumptions.
Chris
Norfolk, VA, USA
Doesn’t *everything* grow better with more CO2? I swear that has been proven again and again.
Coming from a state where poison ivy is so prevalent, it should be our “state plant”, I’ve gotten quite good at identifying it and immediately ending its pitiful existence in that location on the planet, with RoundUp.
[Although I no longer use RoundUp as it is made by Monsanto].
There are three flora and fauna on this earth which I HATE like none other, and I will do everything in my power to exterminate: Pigeons, Poison Ivy…..and English Ivy.
You can see great areas in the forest where English Ivy has taken over and created an “ivy desert.” And, hiding in the midst of the English Ivy you will see big, nasty vines of the Poison variety.
Some more progressive states like Oregon have declared English Ivy an illegal “noxious weed.”
And in my own “Old World”, sometimes backwards “Commonwealth” of Virginia, it is up to each county to decide.
Fairfax County, next to Washington DC, has banned the scourge, but in my area you can still buy the damn plant at Home Depot!
Besides setting RGates straight on this blog [Hey R, we like you, your’e a good sport lol], I have two other major satisfactions in this world:
Watching a Peregrine Falcon swoop down in an urban setting and snatching a stupid pigeon for dinner,
…..and watching English Ivy and Poison Ivy turn yellow and die.
Chris
Norfolk, VA, USA
They should have lighted the exhibit with those…
http://i31.tinypic.com/n3amp5.jpg
R. Gates says:
July 18, 2010 at 8:06 am
Nice post. Very informative. Hence why I currently am not too focused on the side effects of AGW, but maintain my focus on looking at the evidence for it being a real phenomenon. The long term reduction of Arctic Sea ice, ocean acidification are direct effects and can be readily observed…
It’s good that 25% of your thinking is objective, at least. If only the rest of it could be so. Oh well. Remember, correlation is not causation.
Does the museum play the Soviet National Anthem, whenever its doors open?
Yes but (July 18, 2010 at 2:14am)
Are you aware that no life is possible without Co2? Every bit of food you eat comes from Co2. Without it no life is possible including yours. Carbohydrates and proteins are impossible without carbon, so is cellulose. The carbon atom makes these molecules possible. As a matter of fact the element carbon has a special place in the chemistry of life in its ability to form complex compounds. This allows for an almost infinite number of possibilities. Plants through photosynthesis “fixate” (fertilize is wrong) the carbon atom into the cellulose molecule. More carbon available allows for a higher rate of fixation thereby increasing the production of cellulose and hence an overall larger mass or “volume” of the plant. Orange Trees(Co2 science) in a cold frame environment show a 180% increase in volume(stems, leaves and FRUIT) under a doubling of Co2. I’ll take the LARGE orange thanks! ALL plants that photosynthesize will respond to higher levels of Co2 from current concentration. These are the simple facts JACK! Oh, and the good(?) professor, did I make this up? Don’t believe me, check for yourself! What I find most stunning about the video is the amazing increase in root size (its extent and range).
1. The face experiments are flawed. Coldframes and greenhouses are the best for these types of experiments. They allow for a much more controllable and consistent concentration of Co2 over the entire surface of the plants involved. An outdoor experiment cannot do this.
2. A larger plant can store more water thereby increasing its “hardiness” by allowing it to survive longer under drought like conditions. This is what is observed and your point is meaningless since all plants die without water.
3. The same overall protein level with an increased biomass changes the ratio giving the impression of a reduced level. There will still be more of a crop and this in turn will feed MORE PEOPLE.
4. Pony up your references.
5. Co2 does not preference anything. Plants respond according to their physiologies some will grow faster than others but all plants will grow OVERALL. Your “preference” is a red herring.
You like all warmers like to make things more “complex” in order to create a grey area that can be argued. I see it all the time. The warmers ability to bend, stretch and pervert science to their own needs is simply astonishing.
TheGoodProfessor says:
July 18, 2010 at 4:00 am
They are being shown that co2 is a toxin
I must have missed this. Have you got an exact source for this wonderful piece of misinformation.
No… I thought not. There isn’t one, because no-one is actually saying that all CO2 is bad.
Just like most CO2 lovers – when the facts don’t match, just make up some new ones!
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That is a very tiny nitpick Professor, because it is taken out of context. Kids today are awash in the “CO2 is evil” propaganda and the museum is just adding another drop to the bucket.
Children are taught how evil CO2 (and mankind) is in school. Here is a WUWT about one of the books that was just pulled by a school system click Parents complain about the propaganda their kids get in school such as Al Gore’s film and :The Story of Stuff” e over 7,000 American schools or churches have ordered the DVD. I do children’s entertainment so I hear the complaints first hand and actually SEE the propaganda at the schools I go to.
Google shows “About 2,680,000 results” under the automatic title fun facts about global warming for kids
The EPA finding: The greenhouse gases that are responsible for it (climate change) endanger public health and welfare within the meaning of the Clean Air Act.”
Check Wikipedia for Exelon’s political and pollution activity.
http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=38869
Climate Change at The Field Museum is sponsored by Exelon Corporation, Motorola Foundation, HSBC – North America, Jones Lang LaSalle, and Whole Foods Market. Exelon Corporation is contributing $1 for every visitor to the Climate Change exhibition, up to $200,000.
@ur momisugly Gail Combs says:
July 18, 2010 at 7:45 am
Interesting comment, Gail: YES, and it has been giving me nightmares.
If you want to see just how organized and for how long check out the very well documented History, HACCP and the Food Safety Con Job……………..etc.
I’m pretty sure a large percentage of the population recognizes that “SOMETHING AIN’T RIGHT” , and this is one of those “somethings”. The trouble is that very few have any idea how to fix those often ill-defined and not well understood somethings, especially in the face of powerful forces who have a vested interest in NOT fixing those somethings. We are hog-tied by tens of thousands of laws, regulations, taxes, and various control mechanisms that effectively preclude any meaningful resistance, and there are many more on the way.
Anyway, what would you propose be done to remedy the situation(s)? And if I can borrow a phrase: “All options are on the table.”
R. Gates,
And yes, when and if ocean acidification actually occurs, I am sure it will be detected.
As of now, it is pure pie in the sky.
As for Arctic ice, how far back can you prove there have been no fluctuations like the current cycle of summer ice?
Curiousgeorge says:
July 18, 2010 at 5:52 am
They missed a good spin. It makes the grass and weeds grow more also, which means having to mow, etc. more often with one of those nasty old co2 belching, gas guzzling, riding mowers, which add even more co2 and increase our dependence on foreign oil and hasten the arrival of peak oil, which will send us all back to the dark ages of plague and constant warfare. It’s a death spiral that must be stopped before it’s too late!!! As Lucy would say: “Aauuuughhh! We’re all gonna die!”
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Do I get CO2 credits for using goats and sheep to mow my lawn…. OOPS I forgot the “climate scientists” at East Anglia have labeled them as “fart machines” and therefore not “natural” Livestock cut urged to tackle carbon emissions
C02 may make for healthier poison ivy, but 02 makes for healthier serial killers and paedophiles, so I really think we should look at getting rid of that particular toxin, too.