If you think CO2 isn't dangerous, do you feel the same about arsenic?

Question

Two common arguments we see that CO2 isn't causing global warming are that it's 'plant food' and that it only comprises a small fraction of our atmosphere (387 ppm, or 0.00387%).

Well, some plants eat arsenic:

http://www.physorg.com/news64159534.html

And arsenic is toxic to humans at a concentration of 10 parts per Billion (0.0000001%).

So I guess if you're not worried about CO2 you're not worried about arsenic either. Right?

Arsenic toxic at 10 ppb link:

http://www.news-medical.net/?id=5058

If CO2 is no danger because it's only 387 ppm, then arsenic at 10 ppb surely must be safe!

Answer 1

It looks like the skeptics have once again chosen to distort things to suit their own ends.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the logic behind your question is the oft cited claim by some skeptics that CO2 exists in the atmopshere in such small amounts that it can't possible be harmful. That being the case then your question makes perfect sense.

I would guess, that confronted with a logical argument that goes agaisnt the skeptics way of thinking, they have to resort to the usual tactic of distortion.

Maybe my eyesight is failing me but I don't see anywhere in your question that refers to people exhaling arsenic so why has this been inferred by the skeptics.

SKEPTICS - Do you accept that arsenic is harmful in small amounts? If so then please refrain from using the argument that CO2 isn't harmful in small amounts. You can have it one way or the other, having both is hypocrisy.

Answer 2

There is generally only one correct answer.

CO2 and arsenic are necessary parts of the world and without them, according to the anthropic principle, the universe would be different and we wouldn't be here. However, they have a specific place and role in our world and if you mess with the balance without a complete understanding, you will have unintended consequences. Of course, we will never have complete understanding so it's best to leave well enough alone.

Alas, there are an infinite number of other answers, of which the scatterbrained are free to pick and choose.

The interesting thing about Mr. Jell-O's argument, and rhetoric in general, is that just because you can say something doesn't make it true. No matter how much you believe.

Answer 3

What a specious argument, but then you believe global warming is real.

How about this argument instead - Plants breathe co2. Plants eat iron. Guns are made of iron. Eating a gun means shooting yourself in the head.

If you believe co2 isn't dangerous, then you think the same about shooting yourself in the head.

Sad, sad that this is how modern day "scientist" think.

And you believe that to solve global warming, poor people should starve or freeze to death. Why? To reduce the surplus population?

Raising the price of energy will just kill off the poor, but I'm sure you're fine with that as this will be fewer humans causing man made global warming.

Answer 4

What the hell are you talking about? This question makes NO sense. Are you able to exhale arsenic, because you exhale CO2.

Also, the heating capacity of CO2 is limited. Every time you double CO2, the amount it is able to effect temperature decreases. Eventually, you can add all the CO2 you want to the atmosphere and it will not effect temperature.

Also, hundreds of studies have shown that increased CO2 concentrations increase plant growth 20 to 40%. Sounds good to me.

Answer 5

That's really not much of a question when you think about it. You've made your position clear and supported one strong argument in favor of your position and then left it so that anyone who disagrees has to either not answer or come off looking like they like poison. No, I'm not really worried about CO2 and arsenic doesn't greatly concern me at this point either. There are a lot more items being pumped into our atmosphere at much higher levels that concern me more.

Answer 6

For those of you that say you are not worried about arsenic, you should be. It is common in drinking water. It is required in CA that drinking water systems test for aresnic. If your water comes from a well you should have it tested at least every 3-5 years.

Answer 7

Water ( H2O ) is listed as mildly toxic in a Federal publication on water treatment I once thumbed through.

Dana, I thought you were supposed to be a highly educated person. Whats up with this dumb rhetorical question?

Answer 8

Actually, I'm not all that worried about arsenic. No.

Are you?

Is there some sort of crazy arsenic build-up that they aren't telling us about?

Answer 9

Dana, please get real. Humans do not exhale arsenic. Arsenic is toxic to humans. CO2 is not toxic in the concentrations we are talking about.

Answer 10

this ranks right up their with the dumbest questions i've ever read. it's obvious you're a moronic pseudo-environmentalist who loves to use off-base facts and questions that you think you're sneakily planting to further your ill-thought-out agenda.

co2 is dangerous in high concentrations because like any gas that exceeds a certain percentage of the air you breathe, it will starve your body of oxygen. but, barring metabolic issues, we generate co2 as a bi-product of normal respiration, and exhale it from our lungs every minute of every day. apparently breathing normally is only dangerous to you, as it has obviously caused severe retardation.