|
| There has been a very wide range of CO2 levels in earths history. The CO2 levels during the ice age is estimated to have been around 200ppm. About 500 million years ago CO2 levels are thought to have ranged between 3000 and 9000 ppm and the earth’s average temperature was about 10 degrees warmer. When dinosaurs roamed the earth the CO2 levels are believed to have been around 6000 ppm.
While we need to pay attention to CO2 levels the truth is we are much closer to the lowest CO2 levels than the highest since life has evolved. I think it is also quite safe to say that life survived through all of these levels and it is also almost certainly true that life flourished more during the highest CO2 levels than the lowest and coldest which would be during ice ages. The CO2 concentration at todays levels and in the foreseeable future really aren’t that concerning.
What is likely a bit more concerning is the speed at which it is rising. Today the concentrations are rising at some of the fastest rates ever recorded although one could argue that there were likely some more abrupt changes in CO2 levels during some periods of extremely high volcanic activity. Life obviously survived through these periods and there is no reason to believe it won’t survive or that it will suffer major disruptions from the relatively small changes going on currently. | |
|
Holy smokes
