Is more CO2 a good thing because it’s plant food?
While CO2 is necessary for plant growth, the negative impacts of climate change, driven by man-made CO2 emissions, far outweigh short-term productivity gains.
Plants need a balance of CO2, sunlight, water, and nutrients. Though more CO2 can initially boost growth, rising temperatures, disease vulnerability, shifting land fertility, and increased water demands offset these benefits.
The UN warns that global crop yields could decline by up to 30% by 2050, while a 2017 meta-analysis linked each degree of warming to a 3-7% yield loss for key crops like corn and soybeans. Losses are also attributed to increased disease pressure from altered climates.
Raised CO2 levels can also lower food quality. Reviews found reduced levels of essential nutrients in staple crops, while protein concentrations in grains like wheat and rice dropped by 10-15%.
The rapid human-induced accumulation of CO2 is producing more negative than positive consequences—for plants and the Earth at large.
