I was just wondering?

Question

If, according to global warming/climate change, we are putting to much CO2 into the air. If that is the case, should we see an increase of plant life anytime soon? Nature always does seem to have a way of balancing itself.

And by soon I'm talking a few decades or centuries, I don't mean weeks or months.

Answer 1

Maybe.  But it's not likely to be much.  And maybe not what you want:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13046200/

James Lovelock is perhaps the leading scientific authority on Nature balancing itself.

The data on global warming has convinced him that this time is different.  His latest book, The Revenge of Gaia (Earth) is a passionate plea for massive construction of nuclear power plants to reduce global warming.  Coming from Lovelock, who's as "Green" as they come, this is amazing.

http://www.amazon.com/Revenge-Gaia-Earth...

Answer 2

Under normal conditions, increased atmospheric CO2 should increase plant growth.  But when it's paired with increase deforestation and desertification, there aren't a lot of areas for new plant growth to occur.  Ocean plants will try to increase, but the ocean is nearing a saturation point for how much CO2 it can intake.

The basic problem is that more CO2 is being put into the atmosphere than the combined ability of land/ocean plant-life to take CO2 out.  If this weren't the case, then the measured level of CO2 wouldn't be increasing like it is.

Answer 3

maybe, but then the extreeme change in temperature could cause them to die.  i do disagree about nature mending itself, we are part of nature are we not, and we arn't attempting to mend ourselves are we, but you are right, it may take months or centurys for us to relize our fault, however by then it may be to late.

Answer 4

You can find many good studies from sources worldwide on CO2 and plant growth here:

http://www.co2science.org/

In my travels - I have witnessed beautiful record desert blooming in the last couple of years.

I think it's interesting that CO2 increases have been happening since about 1880 to present day  and very consistently increasing.  However when the 'industrial revolution' really got into high gear until around 1940 with extremely higher 'emissions' it didn't seem to increase CO2 proportionally and after 1998 the temperatures did not 'follow' the constantly increasing CO2.

Don't find this interesting?