Plan Jane @planjane22 - Twitter Profile

18 days ago · Bega

With atmospheric CO₂ hovering around 426 ppm, nature is thriving in arid regions once considered inhospitable. The vegetation is marching back into the some of the world’s harshest desert environments. Earth's biosphere is quietly demonstrating a profound, measurable benefit from higher CO₂. These fringe areas are more resilient and greener, in a world that is also more water-efficient. Fresh green cover is actively reclaiming the fringes of the Sahel (the Sahara’s southern edge), the Middle East and the Australian Outback. An 8% reduction in the Sahel (the Sahara’s southern edge) since the 1980s means 700,000 square kilometres of formerly barren sand wastes have turned green. This is an exciting real-world reincarnation of James Algar's 1963 epic documentary, 'The Living Desert', filmed in the Sonoran Desert near Tuscon, Arizona. This is the natural world fighting back. Since 1960, global food production has increased by over 250% to 390% (depending on the index). Most of this is from the Green Revolution—the arrival of fertilisers, tractors and genetics. But atmospheric CO₂ - rising from 315 ppm to 426 ppm - is a silent yet profound tailwind behind every new hectare being harvested. It's the ultimate irony: that a climate change agenda treated CO₂ as an agent of starvation. Instead, the fundamental biology shows it is still the primary engine of agricultural abundance and drought resilience. When you break down the plant science, the results are stunning: * C3 plants (95% of all plant species): Rice, wheat, soybeans and potatoes have increased yields by 30% to over 50%. Their photosynthetic mechanisms are structurally starved at lower baseline levels; extra CO₂ accelerates their growth directly. * C4 plants: Maize (corn), sorghum and sugarcane have increased yields by up to 10%, alongside massive efficiency gains during dry spells. * Root and tuber crops: Potatoes and sweet potatoes show explosive underground growth, as their large sinks efficiently store the excess carbohydrates produced by accelerated photosynthesis. Studies compiled by organisations like the USDA Agricultural Research Service show potato yields increasing by 50% to over 100% under elevated CO₂ when water is abundant. Crucially, this atmospheric enrichment also triggers a 10% to 40% reduction in plant water loss because leaf stomata don't need to open as wide to take in carbon. CO₂ isn't the code red disaster they warned about - but it is a massive insurance policy for the future of global food security. Image: Global greening trends captured by satellite observations - NASA science.

PeterDClack's tweet photo. With atmospheric CO₂ hovering around 426 ppm, nature is thriving in arid regions once considered inhospitable.

The vegetation is marching back into the some of the world’s harshest desert environments. Earth's biosphere is quietly demonstrating a profound, measurable benefit from higher CO₂. These fringe areas are more resilient and greener, in a world that is also more water-efficient. Fresh green cover is actively reclaiming the fringes of the Sahel (the Sahara’s southern edge), the Middle East and the Australian Outback.

An 8% reduction in the Sahel (the Sahara’s southern edge) since the 1980s means 700,000 square kilometres of formerly barren sand wastes have turned green. This is an exciting real-world reincarnation of James Algar's 1963 epic documentary, 'The Living Desert', filmed in the Sonoran Desert near Tuscon, Arizona.

This is the natural world fighting back. Since 1960, global food production has increased by over 250% to 390% (depending on the index). Most of this is from the Green Revolution—the arrival of fertilisers, tractors and genetics. But atmospheric CO₂ - rising from 315 ppm to 426 ppm - is a silent yet profound tailwind behind every new hectare being harvested.

It's the ultimate irony: that a climate change agenda treated CO₂ as an agent of starvation. Instead, the fundamental biology shows it is still the primary engine of agricultural abundance and drought resilience.
When you break down the plant science, the results are stunning:

* C3 plants (95% of all plant species): Rice, wheat, soybeans and potatoes have increased yields by 30% to over 50%. Their photosynthetic mechanisms are structurally starved at lower baseline levels; extra CO₂ accelerates their growth directly.
* C4 plants: Maize (corn), sorghum and sugarcane have increased yields by up to 10%, alongside massive efficiency gains during dry spells.
* Root and tuber crops: Potatoes and sweet potatoes show explosive underground growth, as their large sinks efficiently store the excess carbohydrates produced by accelerated photosynthesis.

Studies compiled by organisations like the USDA Agricultural Research Service show potato yields increasing by 50% to over 100% under elevated CO₂ when water is abundant. Crucially, this atmospheric enrichment also triggers a 10% to 40% reduction in plant water loss because leaf stomata don't need to open as wide to take in carbon.

CO₂ isn't the code red disaster they warned about - but it is a massive insurance policy for the future of global food security.

Image: Global greening trends captured by satellite observations - NASA science.

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