Watt about the 400ppm?

There’s already been quite a lot said about the fact the CO₂ measurements at Mauna Loa are now regularly above 400 ppm. Unfortunately, in my opionion, Watts Up With That (WUWT) has a post called Mauna Loa hits 400 ppm of CO₂, alarmists wail and gnash teeth, Earth survives. Well, yes it is just a number. In a mathematical sense, it has the same significance as 399 ppm or 401 ppm. However, we do see significance in round numbers like 400, when compared to numbers like 399 or 401. Noone was suggesting that something dramatic was about to happen when it reached 400 ppm. It is, however, the highest level in human history.

I may write something more about these CO₂ levels in due course, but all I really wanted to say was that I find it really disturbing that WUWT seems to revel in anything that so-called “alarmists” find concerning. They’re reveling in the rise of CO_s. The see it as good because plants will thrive! Phil Plait has really good article over at Bad Astronomy explaining, very clearly, why increasing levels of CO₂ is almost certainly not going to be good for plants. I’m not convinced that all at WUWT believe that increased CO₂ will be good for plants. I think much of this is simply a group of people who will oppose everything that “alarmists” regard as concerning. It seems remarkably childish.

Anthony Watts is considering T-shirts saying “I survived 400ppm”. I hope he does produce such T-shirts. It seems clear, to me at least, that it will be obvious very soon that we should be very concerned about global warming and associated climate change. I’d predict that very few of those who buy these T-shirts will be willing to wear them in public in 5-years time.