The Gas of Life

By Jim Goodridge  – former California State Climatologist

Photosynthesis simply stated is 6CO₂ + 6H₂O + photons = C₆H₁₂O₆+6O₂.

It is suggested by the relative abundances of atmospheric CO₂ and O₂,

That CO₂ is a quite active material and it is always in short supply.

Plant growth is basically the chemical reaction of storing solar energy.

Chemical reactions generally double with an increase of 10°F.

Rising temperatures cause CO₂ to boil out of ocean water.

Rising temperature and CO₂ concentration both stimulate plant growth.

Our atmosphere originally contained about 30 percent CO₂.

The era of chlorophyll dominance is referred to as the Great Oxidation.

This happened 2.5 billion years ago. The ocean’s dissolved iron.

Rusted out, producing our planets iron ore deposits and releasing oxygen.

Chlorophyll is still the mechanism controlling the CO₂ and O₂ abundance.

All life forms basically originated by a photosynthesis process.

Chemically our hemoglobin and chlorophyll are quite similar.

Suggesting a common origin, that is supported by common DNA code.

Where as animals do not photosynthesize, their plant foods do.

Beef, chicken or fish feed off photosynthetic products.

It is mainly trace minerals that supplement photo-source.

CO₂ is literally the gas of life for all macro life forms we encounter.

The existence of extremophiles suggests very early non-solar energy sources.

Demonizing CO₂ started with the plan for peaceful use of atomic bombs.

The big dream in 1946 that was that atomic energy would be so cheap,

That electricity would never again need to be metered.

The attribution of increased CO₂ to fossil fuel burning was born here.

Atomic energy advocates wanted to save Earth from runaway GH heating like Venus.

A conservation ethic developed to conserve the finite petroleum for the future and

Anti-pollution and anti-growth advocates added voices to the anti- CO₂ theme.

All earthly macro life forms are photosynthically derived from CO₂,

Either directly or indirectly by chlorophyll that absorbs solar photons.

We are not here not at the whim of a deity but by evolution of CO₂ derivatives.

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Note: Jim’s line, The attribution of increased CO₂ to fossil fuel burning was born here.

There’s a tremendous backstory to this which I have been chasing for awhile. See this post from the earlier days of WUWT in 2008. If anyone can help find it, I’d be appreciative.

Scavenger Hunt: find the lump of coal