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Headline of the Week Weak

Filed under: Headline of the Week

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"Higher CO2 levels may be good for plants"

Inneresting! CLICK HERE to read the article accompanying this headline.

[Image via WENN.]

Higher CO2 levels may be good for plants: German scientists

The dangerous rise in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere may be troubling scientists and world leaders but it could prove to be a boon for plants, German researchers said Tuesday.
Increasing exposure to carbon dioxide appears to boost crop yields, Hans-Joachim Weigel of the Johann Heinrich von Thuenen Institute for rural areas, forestry and fisheries in the central city of Brunswick told AFP.

"Output increased by about 10 percent for barley, beets and wheat" when the plants were subjected to higher levels of carbon dioxide, Weigel said.

The Thuenen Institute, which has been monitoring the phenomenon in fields since 1999, trains CO2 jets on the plants so the gas reaches 550 parts per million in the air around them — the level expected in the atmosphere by 2050.

Weigel said the studies have indicated that while greater CO2 exposure appears to spur growth, it can also undermine the quality of the produce.

He said the next step in the study would be to evaluate the effect of higher temperatures on plant growth — which scientists cite as another consequence of higher CO2 emissions in the atmosphere.

Weigel said that while the institute's findings may prove surprising to some, they are not intended to undermine the drive to slash CO2 emissions.

"This research is not intended as an argument for doing nothing to curb the rise of CO2 levels," he said. "It is to find out what the effects would be."

Other studies have presented a more mixed picture about the impact of higher CO2 levels on plants, and there is uncertainty about its effects on soil fertility and which plants benefit most from more CO2.



97 comments to “Headline of the Week Weak”

  1. st6ep says – reply to this
    1

    FIRST HOLLER

  2. Sarah says – reply to this
    2

    Leo is yummy

  3. dave says – reply to this
    3

    wow interesting

  4. Anton says – reply to this
    4

    who knew

  5. victo says – reply to this
    5

    first

  6. 6

    mmmmm CO2

  7. ted says – reply to this
    7

    first

  8. ariel says – reply to this
    8

    HOTHOTHOTHOT.

    MMM
    first

  9. April says – reply to this
    9

    first

  10. carly says – reply to this
    10

    first!

  11. chann says – reply to this
    11

    wow 1

  12. Ryan says – reply to this
    12

    1st!!! What does this have to do with Leo????

  13. Hah! says – reply to this
    13

    exactly! another reason why world wide deforestation is never a good thing

  14. confu says – reply to this
    14

    Ok i get the article.. but what does Leonardo have to do with it?
    Help??!

  15. casie says – reply to this
    15

    Tokio Hotel rules my life…best band ever

  16. Miami says – reply to this
    16

    You know what I find interesting perez, you post stories that I read on other sites hours after they've already been posted, especially stuff on other blogs, like rashmanly.wordpress.com

    Whats up with that?

  17. Jacqu says – reply to this
    17

    Considering trees breathe CO2 I'm gonna have to go with a big ol DUH on this one.

    Global warming is a scam.

  18. B says – reply to this
    18

    Whats this have to do with Leo?

  19. 19

    SOMEONE GIVE THIS MAN A FUCKEN OSCAR ALREADY HE DESERVES IT
    LOVE YOU LEO

  20. Ella says – reply to this
    20

    Re: Jacqu

    Trees don't breathe honey

  21. t says – reply to this
    21

    Leo did an Al Gore style documentary on the effects of global warming last year. Jeez guys.

  22. apels says – reply to this
    22

    Re: Ella
    you have to finish the 2nd grade, darling!

  23. confu says – reply to this
    23

    so what perez is awesome

  24. kathr says – reply to this
    24

    you're an idiot.

    if you love plants so much maybe you should buy a patch of the Amazon rainforest

  25. Eliz. says – reply to this
    25

    I see this great picture of Leo, but the only thing under it is an article that has nothing to do with him… I mean, I know Leo's an enviornmentalist and he's probably reacting to this news as we speak. But still, what a bait-and-switch!

  26. LOL says – reply to this
    26

    leo looks beautiful

  27. 27

    Re: Ella – yes, trees breathe,,,everybody knows that!!!!!!!!

  28. Jacqu says – reply to this
    28

    Re: Ella
    Carbon dioxide is produced by all animals, plants, fungi and microorganisms during respiration and is used by plants during photosynthesis.

    You're welcom.

  29. 29

    wow

  30. gared says – reply to this
    30

    Greater CO2 = bigger & better pot plants. Yeah CO2!

  31. KPBBL says – reply to this
    31

    LEO MARRY ME AND FUCK MY VAGINA ALL NIGHT LONG SEXY!

  32. Leila says – reply to this
    32

    Al Gore go fly your Jet over crops and help the poor farmers.

  33. nicki says – reply to this
    33

    hun your really good lookin your mama made a hottie and could i just say that you looked so hot in Romeo and juliet

  34. Ella says – reply to this
    34

    Re: Jacqu

    they utilize it yes, but not through the active respiratory proccesses that other organisms do. Photosynthesis is passive. It is not the same as breathing

  35. ski says – reply to this
    35

    oh my god only in america would someone spend this around…obviously large amountsof co2 isnt good for the atmosphere…they only wanna make what their doin ok and its not…ppl r so dumb…dont believe this bull shyt

  36. derr says – reply to this
    36

    um DUH we learned this in 2nd grade, if not earlier, that most all plant life thrive off CO2, as humans fo O2.

    if this is news to anyone. wow youre retarded. just goes to show people dont take time to know shit about shit and just follow whatever idiot's opinion they might read in the paper. or on PEREZ HILTON. (god fuckin forbid)

  37. lala says – reply to this
    37

    global warming is a scam.

  38. rache says – reply to this
    38

    ummmm dont plants use co2 to start the photosynthesis process…i remember from elementry school that plants give us oxygen and we give them carbon dioxide…..smarten up….why is this amazing?

  39. yanke says – reply to this
    39

    WHO CARES!!!! JUST POST MORE LEO PICS!!!!!!

    DROOOL
    DROOOL
    DROOOL
    DROOOL
    DROOOL
    DROOOL
    DROOOL
    DROOOL
    DROOOL
    DROOOL
    DROOOL
    DROOOL

  40. oh ye says – reply to this
    40

    Who cares. Leo is soooooooooo fine.

  41. Fran says – reply to this
    41

    Green is good! If anyone really wants to help, water is for sure a priority! This is a new company and will be giving 7 percent on every unit sold to a deprived area in the US and Internationally. Over 1.7 billion do not have running water, not including contaminated water! Visit www.puritywatersource.myxziex.com for a very good cause!

  42. Em says – reply to this
    42

    So, oxygen only makes up a tiny portion of what we call "air." We breathe in a much higher concentration of nitrogen. Oxygen is a highly flammable element. To have more oxygen produced isn't really a good thing. Plants do not in fact breathe, they respire.

  43. Nicol says – reply to this
    43

    First of all, if you know anything about biology, you know that CO2 is to plants as oxygen is to humans. Plants love CO2!!!! Plants hate oxygen, but need it in order to live. However O2 will kill them if it is not released back into the atmosphere, just like too much CO2 will kill a human if it remains in their blood stream for too long. Plants give off O2, which humans consume. Humans then give off CO2, which plants then consume. It's all cyclical.
    I guess what I am saying is that not all of your readers are uneducated.

  44. b says – reply to this
    44

    HELLO! Look at the bigger picture and don't post biased articles

  45. FReal says – reply to this
    45

    Of course higher levels of CO2 are good for plants! That's shit they taught in elementary school. Then the plants make Oxygen for us. This whole "global warming" thing is a fraud, people! Wake up and smell the coffee!

  46. ... says – reply to this
    46

    anyone who has taken high school biology knows that plants consume CO2 and distribute Oxygen…wake up people…it's all a hoax…

  47. FReal says – reply to this
    47

    I also want to mention how pathetic Leonerdo is by trying to pick up a "cause" to make him seem important. Next time try picking one that's not a scam, jackass. You also might want to not try to copy everything an idiot like algore does, including remaking his movie with your name on it next time. Oh, and stop sending out JUNK MAIL to my house with your name on it. Do you know about conservation and wasting of natural resources, you hypocritical douchbag!

  48. info says – reply to this
    48

    CO2 at 1% causes drowsiness in some people. At 7%-10% death of any and all animal species exposed (including humanity) will occur within hours. The plants will love it, but no animal can survive it

  49. info says – reply to this
    49

    Re: FReal – leonardo has been pro the environment from way before Al Gore did incomvenient truth. If you are going to bitch, at least have te minimum amount of info to bitch with/about

  50. info says – reply to this
    50

    Re: info – PS Ever wonder why you get so tired now a days after driving on the highway or through traffic? CO2 at 1% emited from cars will cause drowsinss and add the carbon monoxided which is straight up poison and you will understand.

  51. Scam says – reply to this
    51

    We learned this shit back in high school, so I going to echo everyone else and say "DUH"! When Gore started in on CO2 being a greenhouse gas, I then knew that global warming was a scam. Hypocrites like Gore love to tell us how to live, from their 10000SQ foot mansions and heated pools.

  52. info says – reply to this
    52

    Re: … – the rate at which plants produce O2 from Co2 is not as quick as animals producing CO2 from O2 let alone the CO2 produced from more than jut breathing. Plant metabolism is very slow. In fact it is phytoplankton in the seas that drive the CO2 to O2 cycle and the phytoplankton is dieing off due to our polutants and shit from your toilet dumped into the sea. phytoplankton metabolism is prety slow compared to animals let alone the CO2 produced by other ways besides simply breathing.

  53. Becks says – reply to this
    53

    Duh, plants breath CO2 like we breath oxygen, so it is not surprising more CO2 might make plants grow bigger and faster. However, that is a seperate issue from the fact that increased CO2 levels in the atmosphere are also changng the weather patterns of the globe to devestating ends. Wait until Miami is under water in 50 years, then tell me how much your larger geranium plant was really worth.

  54. ??? says – reply to this
    54

    just another proof that americans are stupid… comments here are so stupid… back when global warming was a hypothesis, it was the american scientists who set out to prove there's no such thing. now it's a fact, there're still ignorant stupid americans who think it's a fraud. the greatest polluters in the world!!!

  55. MmHmm says – reply to this
    55

    Re: Becks
    If Miami is underwater, it won't be underwater because of anything people did. Did cavemen cause the ice age or did they just end it?

    Global warming is a scam to the point that people who try to brainwash kids into believing it ought to be charged with a crime.

  56. MmHmm says – reply to this
    56

    Re: ???
    Yes, now it's a "fact". You are projecting, because you are the ignorant one.

  57. Ugh! says – reply to this
    57

    Who gives a flying fuck if Miami's under water? By the way, you idiots buying into the global warming/climate change garbage are unbelievable. The big stink is rising sea water, right? Meaning what? A lot of coastal cities and neighborhoods would be under water. Right? Umm, so fucking what? So those people move a little further inland. So REALLY, you're problem with "climate change" is economic…..the same thing you accuse those of who don't buy into the BS. Oh, and the fucking polar bears will just move to colder climates.

  58. Ugh says – reply to this
    58

    btw, Leo's kinda Eddie Munster-ish.

  59. me says – reply to this
    59

    without an atmosphere there are no plants…. co2 affects the atmosphere. therefore the result of the research is useless and stupid.

  60. Jacki says – reply to this
    60

    How soon we forget!!!!!! Didn't we all learn in school, plants take in carbon dioxide and give off oxygen?????? ENOUGH SAID!!!!! The equation has not changed since time began here on Earth!!! Any changing are charging for carbon dioxide is made up bullshit!!!!!! It's a normal natural process, but just remember "take away carbon dioxide, and you take away you and me"!!!
    We could have 6 millions more times carbon dioxide going on outside and it would be amazing completely lush and fruitful and minding blowing breathtakingly beautiful outside, which in turn would make us completely healthy and pretty much super human, life and food would prosper and excell in every area!!

  61. kb says – reply to this
    61

    who cares if co2 is good for plants? it's bad for anything that breathes.

    Are you serious?

  62. Silly says – reply to this
    62

    We need more random Leo - YUM!!!

  63. LEOLU says – reply to this
    63

    wow
    i had no idea

    AND LEO MADE A MOVIE ON GLOBAL WARMING PEOPLE
    :D
    i luv him

    give him a oscar

    leonardo dicaprio: global warming- HAWT :D
    HAHA

  64. JD says – reply to this
    64

    Why show the picture of this ozone head??

  65. 65

    Re: Ella – Stop trying to big yourself up. Accept you made a schoolgirl error. :)

  66. 66

    Re: ??? – I'm British and I believe global warming is a scam.

  67. Liz says – reply to this
    67

    Go to Google and search for "The Global Warming Test." This will teach you the truth about Co2 levels, and how during long ice ages there were higher Co2 levels than today. In fact, there's absolutely no proof that Co2 levels contribute to Global Warming at all. We're actually much closer to another ice age than we are to getting really hot.

  68. Liz A says – reply to this
    68

    I forgot to ad - when you search for "The Global Warming Test" on Google, make sure to click the first one on the list - the one from "geocraft."

  69. purpl says – reply to this
    69

    Just today my local newspaper stated that we humans are the "blight" on the natural world! Fuckers!

  70. hilo says – reply to this
    70

    Unfortunately you need to understand the science before you post things like this. Yes, the plants grow faster / get bigger, but they contain less protein. This impacts the food chain all the way up. It is sad that you are treating science headlines as if they were stupid stories about Miley Cirus or whatever her name is. Global warming is a serious threat to life as we know it. It is not a political issue, it is science. Please don't cite things like this unless you have read the article in a peer-reviewed science journal.

  71. info says – reply to this
    71

    Re: Jacki – o we could not have 6 million times more CO2. CO2 at 1% of the atmosphere will make most people drowsy and at 7%-10% will call ALL animal life on earth. CO 2 in large amounts is great for plants but bad poison for animals. Plants can not convert CO2 to O2 as quickly as we are making CO2. Crack a science book and put away your bible.