Carbon dioxide (CO2) plays a vital role in the health of our planet. Contrary to the beliefs of climate change advocates, CO2 is not harmful to the Earth. The term “carbon pollution” is a political construct, aimed at reducing emissions from combustion engines and the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas. In reality, CO2 is beneficial for both the environment and our well-being.
In 2021, I was the only Nebraska State Senator to vote against the Nebraska Geologic Storage of Carbon Dioxide Act (LB650), which aimed to store CO2 underground. I voted against the bill because it lacked scientific merit. Plants rely on CO2 for growth, making the idea of storing it underground unreasonable. Moreover, CO2 cannot be effectively stored below the Earth’s surface. Since the passage of LB650, research has shown that underground CO2 storage is ineffective. Steve Goreham, author of Green Breakdown, explains that CO2 inevitably leaks back into the atmosphere. To date, no carbon storage facility has been able to make a significant impact on atmospheric CO2 levels.
One of the key reasons we need CO2 is its role in plant growth. CO2 is essential for photosynthesis, the process by which plants convert sunlight into energy. A 2016 study published by 32 researchers from 24 institutions across eight countries found that global vegetation had increased by 14 percent over the past 30 years, thanks to CO2 emissions. A more recent study reveals that 55 percent of the Earth’s land area is seeing an accelerated rate of vegetation growth, while only 7.3 percent is experiencing a decline.
This increased plant growth highlights that the Earth needs more CO2, not less. Dr. Roy Spencer, former senior scientist at NASA, supports this, stating, “Though CO2 is necessary for life on Earth to exist, there is precious little of it in Earth’s atmosphere.” In agricultural states like Nebraska, crops such as corn, soybeans, and wheat rely on this limited supply of CO2 to thrive.
The concern about global warming due to rising CO2 levels is misplaced. In fact, studies show that increased vegetation actually has a cooling effect on the planet. A study from February 2020 revealed that global greening is expected to offset 17 years of carbon emissions by 2100, potentially reducing the Earth’s carbon levels below the targets set by the Paris Agreement.
Meanwhile, the state of Wyoming has recently halted its carbon sequestration project, Project Bison, which was scheduled to begin in 2025. The project’s cancellation is largely due to the EPA’s extensive new regulations, which are influenced by the Biden Administration’s Green New Deal. These rules are driving states away from pursuing carbon sequestration efforts, despite the lack of evidence supporting its effectiveness.
The current push to limit CO2 emissions lacks scientific support and common sense. Plants need CO2 to grow, just as humans and animals need oxygen to survive. Restricting CO2 is harmful to our environment, particularly in agricultural states like Nebraska. It’s important to challenge these misleading claims and focus on solutions grounded in scientific reality.
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