Or: Surging levels of greenhouses gases are making people tired and stupid, scientists claim
- Higher CO2 in poorly ventilated places can make workers feel tired and slow
- Entire population could experience tiredness caused by burning of fossil fuels
- Huge surge in levels of CO2 in the air could affect memory and concentration
Surging levels of greenhouse gases could make people tired, forgetful and stupid, scientists claim.
Afternoon fatigue, the slump that office workers often experience, could become a worldwide problem due to surging levels in carbon dioxide.
A factor in sick building syndrome is higher carbon dioxide levels in poorly ventilated workplaces which can make workers feel lethargic, low in energy and slow, The Sunday Times reported.
But increased levels of carbon dioxide could not just affect office workers but the entire population by the end of the century, according to scientists at University College London.
A factor in sick building syndrome is higher carbon dioxide levels in poorly ventilated workplaces which can make workers feel lethargic, low in energy and slow. Stock image
It is the first research by scientists to warn about the toxic effect that raised greenhouses gases can have on humans.
The raised levels of carbon dioxide would be driven by the burning of fossil fuels.
Burning oil, coal, and natural gas are the leading causes of the carbon dioxide emissions driving climate change.
‘Human cognitive performance declines with an increase in CO2’, the researchers wrote in the paper.
‘Direct impacts of CO2 emissions on human cognitive performance may be unavoidable’.
HT/Willis E
I’m wondering how tired I’d be riding a bicycle on a dirt road to do menial labor that some machine does now. That’s stupid. Fossil fuels has made life easy. They seem to be trying to make life difficult.
Sophie should know that the 2.00pm slump is caused by a caffeine crunch.Most caffeine is expelled from the body in about four hours.The 3.00pm break is an hour too far, hence the slump.Move the breaks an hour closer and the problem disappears. Get educated Sophie.
It is possible the “brilliant” journalist read an article on CO poisoning.
Carbon Monoxide Carbon Dioxide….When you are an ace reporter saving the world,whats the difference..?
Carbon Pollution Right?
Every year some poor family will suffer CO poisoning from a furnace/chimney malfunction, losing loved ones or becoming very ill.
And the onset symptoms do make you stupid and ill.
“Surging levels of greenhouses gases are making people tired and stupid, scientists claim.”
Only climate scientists, though.
The Daily Mail (never the most reliable “first draft of history” anyhow!) has recently had an enfoeced personnel change in order to get this still highly popular paper back on message. The outgoing editor ensured we got pro-Brexit stories and AGW realism (remember David Rose?). The “new” Mail has already published several vile articles bleating about second referenda and how good and wise the learned elders of Europe are, and now this. Ah, well, it saves time scanning the newspaper sites in the morning. ;-(
Surging levels of greenhouse gases could make people tired, forgetful and stupid, scientists claim. Afternoon fatigue and lazy could be added.
A big fat lunchtime ‘blunt’ does the same. Whoda thunk it was the greenhouse gases. lol
I didn’t read any of this. Too tired and stupid.
So, the approx. 97% of natural CO2 sources have no effect and do not drive climate change, only our 3%?
That’s what they claim. It doesn’t make much sense, does it. Human-derived CO2 is the gamechanger they think. Why they think that, I don’t know. I’ve seen a couple of times where people tried to make a case for it, but they didn’t make much sense either. 🙂
“Surging levels of greenhouse gases could make people tired, forgetful and stupid, scientists claim.”
These scientists are just looking for a convenient excuse for their own laziness, forgetfulness, and stupidity. When they use a weasel word like “could,” it is merely an opinion or an educated guess at best.
The news item cites ‘ther scientists’ as having written “Human cognitive performance declines with an increase in CO2”. They may well have but even if they did Google can’t find it. How much of this claim is fiction?
It is not fiction, because human cognitive performance does decline with an increase in CO2. And huge surge not only could but would affect humans, not only making humans tired but killing them.
It is just that this fact is completely irrelevant. A huge surge in water would do that. The heck, a huge surge of anything will kill humans. The dose is what makes a poison – though some poisons are extremely poisonous at extremely low levels.
The ASHRE limit for CO2 in a well ventilated room is .1% where as the nominal amount of CO2 in our atmosphere is .04%. The global use of fossil fuels is not having a significant effect on the amount of CO2 that is in a well ventilated room. A primary cause of increased amounts of CO2 in the indoor environment is people and other animals breathing. Breathing should not be made illegal. By far the majority of so called greenhouse gas in our atmosphere is H2O. Before the level of H2O in the atmosphere becomes dangerous to humans it condenses out as a liquid. H2O and CO2 in our atmosphere is required for life as we know it. Many breathing problems that some people have are treated by adding more H2O and CO2 to the air that these people breathe. Both H2O and CO2 are required for good health.
The title is an Own Goal unto itself 🙂
Si monumentim requiris…
We might be able to laugh at this story, but we should recognise that nearly all Daily Mail readers, and indeed the bulk of the population, will take it uncritically at face value, and although they may not feel it a direct threat to themselves, it will still be at the back of their minds when climate policy is addressed in future.
I usually manage to refrain from commenting until I have given the authors the courtesy of my having skimmed their work, but as the DM gives few details and no references, it took quite a while to find the article on which it is based. The abstract of that article makes it clear that it is a far-in-the-future ‘what if’ study without grounding in actual numbers. It states-
………………..”This paper brings together a rapid evidence assessment of impacts of elevated CO2 concentrations on human cognition with IPCC projections of atmospheric CO2 concentration by the end of the present century, and an analysis of potential consequences of increased atmospheric CO2 concentrations for ventilation systems in buildings and other enclosed spaces. Whilst only limited research has been done on the effect of CO2 on cognition (as opposed to air quality in general), half of the studies reviewed indicate that human cognitive performance declines with increasing CO2 concentrations….”
So I had a quick look at the abstracts of some of the “studies reviewed”. Of those I could see, most were culled from papers discussing greenhouse gas emissions (not cognitive effects) but of those visible which did look at medical aspects, none claimed negative effects below 5000ppm and the majority were very clear that negative impacts on ‘human cognitive performance’ were absent even at much higher levels.
Waffle compounded upon rubbish.
mothcatcher, look at the comments at the Daily Mail. People are calling BS big-time.
Don132
Here’s an example of comments, and this is not untypical of the reaction to this piece at the Daily Mail:
“The global warming alarmists are realizing people aren’t buying their rubbish so they are going for far fetched and desperate rubbish like this. People have been tired in the afternoon since the dawn of time. It’s from working all day and having something in your stomach after lunch.”
“No, it is the constant drone of scientists going on about global warming, greenhouse gasses and the need for more and more of our money that is making people tired. They are killing off their argument with their incessant greed and inane remarks.”
If you want to get cheered up a bit, read the comments.
In a way, they are correct
Appealing to The Authority of Me, I have lond asserted that rising atmospheric Carbonoxide is due to farming – especially where land is ploughed, paddied, grubbed, raked, harrowed, rolled to facilitate the growing of annual grasses – as opposed to the perennial plants and grasses that would normally prevail.
Previous civilisations have been very successful at creating deserts just by doing that.
Sheep and goats assisted in no small measure.
Since end of WWII, a new tool was added – ammonia or ammonium nitrate – the product of munitions production and that was no longer needed by the war-machine.
Hence why, on almost every graph of atmospheric carbonoxide concentration, the curve ramps up steeply around the mid to late 1940’s. The nitrogen stimulates the soil bacteria to chew up more dead & buried plant material producing the CO2.
The CO2 is coming out of the dirt – hence why the stomata on most plants are on the underside of their leaves. They expect their ‘food’ to be coming up at them, not down at them.
Of course the burning of stuff, any stuff, in an oxygen/nitrogen mix of gas will produce water-soluble nitrogen which will rain out on the dirt and likewise, promote bacterial activity.
Bacteria are also VERY sensitive to temperature, hence we see this:
From here:
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2017-267&rn=news.xml&rst=6973
The ‘tropical regions’ being the only places (apart from Perma-frozen regions) where, due to farming, there is any significant measure of dead & buried plant material.
To get back on topic and round this thing up – farming is a major emitter of CO2, not especially from all the things warmists like to accuse it of, but from the actions of ploughing, paddying and (nitrogen) fertilising and that sort of farming is to do what……
Grow starch,
Which when husk-removed, ground-up and cooked (the very essence of ‘processing) becomes a mind and body dulling drug. It turns in Glucose – a chemical depressant for critters such as us.
And no, you do not ‘get used to it’
you do not ‘learn to handle it’
you do not ‘get immune to it’
because ‘everyone else is doing it’ does NOT make it any less potent or reduce its brain & body-deadening effect
Hence we see this:
From here:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-43611527
Those children are not falling asleep because they are hungry.
Hunger actually has the reverse effect – it wakes you up so you become alert to the possibility of finding food.
They are falling asleep because their bloodstreams are chock full of glucose that came from eating highly processed foods, typically laden with refined sugar in the preceding hour or so.
=breakfast.
Those breakfasts would have been cornflakes, Frosties, Coco-Pops, toast with jam/jelly/marmalade – things that are easy to prepare for stressed parents, always in a desperate rush to get to work and things that the kids can and will help themselves to.
So, they seem happy, bright and alert.
Initially
But at 2+ hours, the Dopamine rush has gone, the glucose inside them that hasn’t been processed into fat is monopolising water in their bloodstreams and everywhere.
They are grumpy and hung-over from 09:30 onwards.
But, they universally mistake the ‘thirsty’ signal for the hunger, I want food signal and appear to their teachers to be hungry again.
Not least by the same time, how many of the teachers are under the same malaise – having eaten a high-carb and highly processed breakfast themselves?
A very easy mistake to make – the teachers will never realise what’s happening and its their duty ‘In Loco Parentis’ to recognise what the children need in that situation.
A simple drink of water.
(A small salty & savoury high fat snack (e’g. cheese) would work ABSOLUTE WONDERS – but what’s the chance?)
So they blame the (real) parents
We also get stuff like this happening: (From The Telegraph recently)
Again, they Pass The Buck.
How badly is it possible to Lose The Plot? – they (as teachers) have set themselves up as ‘In Loco Parentis’ but when any tiny problem crops up, they avoid responsibility.
They want all the middle-class well-paid status & salary of being teachers, they cannot handle the responsibility – they don’t even recognise what their own job/vocation involves or even recognise (as basic human animals) what’s going on right in front of their eyes.
Then they deliver the ultimate and it Could Not Get Any Worse.
They accuse children of stealing from them, their parents (In Loco Parentis)
Horrendous, Gobsmacking. Really really sad.
Not only are the rats in the cage starting to eat each other, they are effectively eating each other’s children
Then doctors will come along and assert that The Afternoon Power Nap is actually a good thing.
How wrong is it possible to be.
About Anything
‘scuse the Fat Fingers above ^^ we all know how it is…
anyone see now why ‘science’ is such a train wreck nowadays..
See also:
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2018/nov/29/one-third-18-year-old-university-applicants-get-unconditional-offer
Folks who have completely missed out on education in their first 17 or 18 years are being given Degrees – please tell me NOT in Climate Science (or any science or Heaven Forbid, going on to become teachers, politicians or their advisers)
Jeez after scrolling all the way down, iv’e forgotten what i gonna say now.
It was the CO2, you were warned what would happen. Now what you need to do is go on an immediate emission control CO2 vegan friendly cleansing diet. Then donate all you savings to saving polar bears and greenpeace and you should be on the path to restoring mental function.
Look at the comments at the Daily Mail! For example, and this isn’t an outlier: “It is a long time since I ever read so much scientifically illiterate drivel.”
There’s hope for humanity so long as some of us still have the BS meter functioning.
Don132
Sick building syndrome ?
They sealed the windows of my kid’s school room. We got informed by a plethora of energy saving pamphlets.
Sore throats, red eyes, fatigue quickly ensued.
It took parents quite some legal efforts before normal airing was resumed.
The most positive of it all is that now kids have tasted first hand the oppressive effects of save-the-world lunacy. Good luck talking them into it again.
There should be a warning label placed on these types of articles; Warning – contains Weapons Grade Stupid. Read at your own risk. In fact, I think the Stupid has reached critical mass. Too bad it couldn’t be harnessed somehow.
““Surging levels of greenhouses gases are making people tired and stupid, scientists claim.”
Apparently, the effects are limited to democrats, socialists, progressives, the MSM, and other lefties.
I researched CO2 levels and mammals in the academic literature about 10 years ago. I found:
1. The rodent with the highest life expectancy–Naked Mole Rats–had the highest CO2 levels in their burrows. (8%)
2. Premie human infants are incubated with 7% (70 000 ppm) CO2. Researchers thought that might be a bit high, causing blindness.
3. Submarines’ US standard is 4%.
But as we all know, it is not about the science. This article reveals that the truth will be destroyed for the Narrative. And that could kill people.
I am reminded of a quote from the movie, “Billy Madison”;
(a slightly revised version)
“what you have just written is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever read. At no point in your rambling, incoherent article were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this chat room is now dumber for having read it.”
The reason why mammals have lungs to breath in air is directly attributable to having CO2 in the bloodstream. Without CO2 in our bodies we stop breathing.
I’m guessing a healthy autocorrelation with liberalism might be in play. Yes, on the submarine we had a somewhat larger concentration of CO2, but I don’t think there any extra stupidity was exhibited. It’s not the best environment for it.
How can we be certain that the “scientists” were not the first victims?
The book “The Oxygen Advantage” states that C02 is needed in the bloodstream in order for hemoglobin to release 02 into the tissues. The sort of paradoxical result is that to increase the 02 in your tissues, you need to increase the C02. The suggestion is breath-holding exercises to increase the C02. Oxygen isn’t the problem, as your blood is usually 98-100% saturated with 02. Maybe more C02 will be beneficial to humanity.
Transfer of O2 from your blood is facilitated by transfer of CO2 from the tissue to the blood. In the lungs the hemoglobin becomes saturated with O2, as the blood passes through the arteries and through the capillaries the O2 saturation drops and the absorption of CO2 facilitates transfer of O2 at these low concentrations to the tissue until the blood CO2 level maximizes and the O2 saturation is close to 0. When the blood is returned via the veins to the lungs the CO2 transfers to the air in the lungs and the O2 saturation returns to 100%.