As you all know, the Earth is destined to erupt in flames anytime now, mainly because of our habit of taking carbon out of the soil and putting it in the air. Right now, there is an atmosphereic concentraion of carbon dioxide of 385 ppm.
Let me put that another way, currently carbon dioxide makes up 0.0385% of the atmosphere.
Scary, isn’t it?
Cato@Liberty notes that James Hansen told Congres in 1988 that 350 ppm was dangerous, but now is saying it is the safe level, what humanity should aim for.
Is the world better off today compared to 1988?
Let’s check:
- Life expectancy in developing countries was 4-5 years lower in 1988 than it is today (62 years rather than the current 67 years). Even in the US, it increased from 74.9 years in 1988 to 77.8 years in 2004!
- Compared to today, at least 15 more infants out of every 1,000 in developing countries died in 1988 before reaching their first birthdays. In industrialized countries, the infant mortality rate dropped from 9 to 5.
- India’s per capita income (in constant dollars adjusted for purchasing power) has more than doubled since 1988. China’s has more than quadrupled. As a result, hundreds of millions are no longer living in absolute poverty today. Even the US’s per capita income has increased by 40 percent.
- Food production per capita in developing countries has increased 36 percent since 1988, despite a population increase of 40% (that is, 1.5 billion more people). [What fraction of this was due to the increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and petroleum-based and greenhouse gas-emitting fertilizers, all of which stimulates crop growth?].
Much of these improvements are due to economic growth and agricultural activity that fueled the rise of CO2 concentrations beyond 350 ppm. Because of technological change, it is likely that a portion of these improvements would have occurred absent any economic growth (as pointed out in the book, The Improving State of the World ). But had CO2 concentrations been capped at 350 ppm, we would have to forgo many of the above improvements in the quality of life, and not only in the developing world.
Related posts:
- Study Says Climate too Complex for Accurate Predictions
- Despite Lack of Warming Over 11 Years, Hansen Says It’s the Oil Companies That Are Propagandists
- Russian Scientist Says To Prepare for Ice Age. Yes, You Read that Right.
- Immigration Not Necessary for Economy
- “We’ve been coming out of a Little Ice Age for 300 years.”
