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CO2 overload, detected in human blood, suggests toxic atmosphere within 50 years

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Re: CO2 overload, detected in human blood, suggests toxic atmosphere within 50 years

#3
Look at your CMP (Comprehensive Metabolic Panel) blood test results. It has a test named Carbon Dioxide. This test may have a reference range of 20-32 mmol/L. Subtract your value from the max value -- that's your leftover buffer as the atmospheric CO2 rises, although serious intermittent problems are risked at a level of 31 itself. There is a more specific blood gas test that only a hospital can perform.

Fwiw, my value reliably went down after I replaced citrate mineral supplements (calcium and magnesium) with glycinate capsules.

Re: CO2 overload, detected in human blood, suggests toxic atmosphere within 50 years

#4
One interesting thing in the paper that I didn't think of, is that our breathing mechanism is tied to CO2 levels. And therefore, higher CO2 levels (not atmospheric high, but artificially high during studies), can trigger panic attacks and general stress. A slow suffocation hallucination, kind of. Even when there's still sufficient oxygen, your body doesn't "measure" oxygen!

I didn't know that!

Re: CO2 overload, detected in human blood, suggests toxic atmosphere within 50 years

#6
Should not be a surprise since we have know about CO2 Levels and fossil fuels for many decades.

The surprise is nothing was real was done. Compare what our generation did with this knowledge against the sacrifices the WW2 generation did. In WW2 many items were rationed in the US for the war effort, including gas.

We knew something had to be done to be done in the 70s, but did we sacrifice our lifestyle for the good of the world ? No, our self-centered generation pumped even more CO2 into the air and is continuing to do so. Our grandchildren will pay dearly for what we did and are doing in decades down the line.

Re: CO2 overload, detected in human blood, suggests toxic atmosphere within 50 years

#7

As a software engineer, what can we do to help with anthropogenic emissions? I want to know how I can use my critical thinking to protect the future for us.

Its not a software problem or a technical issue. At this point, it’s a social issue. Incentives are misaligned and as a result we’ll burn every last molecule of hydrocarbons to generate shareholder value.

Re: CO2 overload, detected in human blood, suggests toxic atmosphere within 50 years

#8

As a software engineer, what can we do to help with anthropogenic emissions? I want to know how I can use my critical thinking to protect the future for us.

Become a monk. The solution is simple and not technical: Stop building and producing CO2

Re: CO2 overload, detected in human blood, suggests toxic atmosphere within 50 years

#9

As a software engineer, what can we do to help with anthropogenic emissions? I want to know how I can use my critical thinking to protect the future for us.

Remember Jevon's Paradox: most of us instinctively look to improving efficiency. But when you do that, people just use more of the thing. Rewriting Python in Rust often won't mean less electricity used, it means your code will get run more.

For example, none of the improvements in combustion engine efficiency over the last 40 years have results in less gasoline being used, it resulted in bigger, more powerful cars and more driving of them.

Really the biggest lever is reducing human population growth and mandating renewables when they are workable, even if moderately less economically viable.

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