The claim
More CO₂ in the atmosphere promotes plant growth and counteracts the climate crisis.
Our conclusion
This assumption is wrong. While CO₂ is an important component of photosynthesis, too much of it leads to serious climate problems that inhibit rather than promote plant growth.
The common claim
It is often claimed on social media and discussion forums that increasing the concentration of CO₂ in the atmosphere would promote plant growth because plants need CO₂ for photosynthesis. This argument is used by some climate change deniers to weaken the urgency of climate action and to justify anthropogenic CO₂ emissions.
By loading the post you accept Facebook's privacy policy.
Learn more
The fact check
Plants need CO₂ for photosynthesis, that's right. However, the high CO₂ emissions caused by humans and the resulting climate changes such as droughts, heat waves and floods are harmful to plant life. Studies show that the so-called fertilizer effect of CO₂ is limited and cannot compensate for the negative consequences of climate change such as weather extremes, ocean acidification and sea level rise. In the long term, these changes lead to a worsening rather than an improvement in growing conditions for plants.
Deeper insights
Increasing the CO₂ concentration can in some cases lead to faster growth of certain plant species in the short term. However, this effect is not sustainable and is overshadowed by the negative effects of the climate crisis. Increasing weather extremes and ecological disturbances pose a greater threat to plant life than the potential benefits of increased CO₂ concentrations. It is therefore misleading to declare the increase in CO₂ as an advantage for the plant world.
Questions and answers on the subject of climate change, plant growth and CO₂
Question 1: Does more CO₂ automatically mean more plant growth?
Answer 1: No, the effect is limited and is overshadowed by the negative consequences of climate change.
Question 2: Can plants stop climate change?
Answer 2: No. Plants alone cannot compensate for the far-reaching and diverse impacts of climate change.
Question 3: What are the main consequences of climate change for plants?
Answer 3: The main consequences are droughts, heat waves and floods, which severely affect plant growth.
Question 4: What fertilizing effect does CO₂ have?
Answer 4: The fertilization effect: The fertilization effect describes the phenomenon that CO₂ can promote the growth of certain plants, but this effect is limited by extreme climatic conditions.
Question 5: How can we respond effectively to climate change?
Answer 5: By comprehensively reducing greenhouse gas emissions and implementing sustainable practices in industry, agriculture and everyday life.
Conclusion
While CO₂ is a vital component of photosynthesis, the man-made excess cannot be seen as a benefit for plant life. It is important to understand the complexities of the climate system and to take active action against climate change instead of spreading misleading arguments that are scientifically untenable.
Source: dpa
Stay critical, stay informed and subscribe to our newsletter for regular updates and in-depth insights. Get involved through our online lectures and workshops , which you can register for.
You might also be interested in:
No genetically modified bananas in the supermarket: What does the PLU code 4011 really mean?
Ambiguous effect of the payment card for asylum seekers
Not without my cell phone: 42 percent sit on the toilet with their smartphone
Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )