Idle thoughts – CO2 is used to put out fires – the less CO2, the higher the risk of fire? "Net zero" a fire starter?

The current level of global CO2 determined at one point on a mountain in Hawaii is around 427 parts per million (ppm).

How dangerous is CO2 to humans? From Brave AI:

“Carbon dioxide levels become dangerous to human life at concentrations above 5,000 parts per million (ppm). At this level, individuals may experience fatigue, loss of focus, and a general feeling of stuffiness. Higher concentrations, such as 40,000 ppm, are considered immediately dangerous to life and health (IDLH) as they can cause asphyxiation by replacing oxygen in the blood.”

Current CO2 = 0.04% of the air - 0.50%, more than ten times higher, might give you a headache and 4.00% CO2 might kill you.

Here’s a little context for crowded rooms at conferences and universities:

“Typically, a well-ventilated room might have CO2 levels around 400 to 500 parts per million (ppm), which is similar to outdoor levels. However, in a closed room with 2,000 people, CO2 levels can easily exceed 1,000 ppm, and in extreme cases, reach up to 2,000 ppm or more, depending on the duration of the gathering and the ventilation.”

“Assuming each student exhales about 41.67 grams of CO2 per hour, the CO2 concentration can reach harmful levels relatively quickly. For a room volume of 32.5 cubic meters, it would take approximately an hour to reach 1000 ppm, which is the threshold for cognitive effects. With 50 students, the CO2 levels could exceed 1000 ppm much faster, potentially reaching 2000 ppm or more, causing discomfort and negative health effects such as headaches and drowsiness. Regular ventilation is crucial to maintain CO2 levels below 1000 ppm.”

I recall a clip of Del Bigtree measuring CO2 levels whilst he masked his son, live on air. The CO2 measuring device was placed inside the mask and shot up to 10,000 ppm in a minute!

Chicken littles were religiously wearing masks for a thousand days during the C19 scamdemic. Maybe their cognitive abilities have been permanently damaged!

How about the impact of reducing CO2 levels globally, on the propensity for fires – after all, CO2 is used to put out fires and is a fire retardant!

“On the other hand, the use of carbon dioxide as a fire suppressant can be effective in reducing the risk of fire, but it also poses significant risks to human health, particularly in confined spaces. The minimum concentration of CO2 required to prevent fires is relatively high and can cause undesirable health effects, including unconsciousness, coma, and death.”

So, presumably, CO2 fire extinguishers cause a rise in CO2 levels, particularly in closed spaces if CO2 rises above 10,000 ppm (from general CO2 levels of 427 ppm). No clue as to how quickly CO2 disperses once a fire is put out (and the firefighters can safely remove their breathing apparatus once they ventilate the rooms etc.

But here’s a little spin.

“… research suggests that a doubling of preindustrial carbon dioxide concentrations could increase fire activity by about 66%, largely due to enhanced vegetation growth. This implies that higher CO2 levels may actually increase the risk of fire, rather than reducing it.”

See how that works? All hat crop, grassland, and forest vegetation are a fire risk caused by the CO2 plant food consumed – and which feeds, houses and furnishes us!

A cynic might say that reducing CO2 increases fire risk by more than the controllable risk from manmade and natural vegetation!

Which implies that reducing CO2 causes a global threat to life and property! I recall the “ozone smell” from the copper braid used to pick up low voltage electricity in Scalextric racing car sets. (I (I the green “E” type Jaguar),

! wonder if that increased the risk of fire – and a law of physics can be applied to EV’s as well. They certainly have an alarming propensity to spontaneously combust!

Onwards!

Please subscribe (paid, preferably! or unpaid) or donate via ko-fi. Ko-fi donations here: https://ko-fi.com/peterhalliganAn annual subscription of 100 bucks is less than 30 cents a day and is one third