This is in response to Bob Reid’s letter to the editor Dec. 14 that carbon dioxide being released by the burning of fossil fuels is actually good for the environment.
His argument is based on the logic that if plants need carbon dioxide for their growth, then more of it should be better — we should expect our crops to become more abundant and our flowers to grow taller and bloom brighter.
It is based on this that skeptics make their claims. However, such claims are simplistic.
They fail to take into account that once you increase one substance that plants need, you automatically increase their requirements for other substances.
It also fails to take into account that a warmer earth will have an increase in deserts and other arid lands, which would reduce the area available for crops.
If people really want to understand the real science behind this, I encourage everyone, including Bob Reid, to read this study at www.nature.com/articles/ncomms8148. It was released by actual scientists.
Jon Romeril
Vernon
