OUR PROBLEM CHANGING CLIMATE CHEMISTRY NOT JUST CLIMATE WARMING ?

I give below what I wrote as notes in 1986 before my talk [Ref 14 below] but not included in that talk except “obliquely”.
What is now going to happen I believe is this. The world’s population is increasing rapidly. So is Carbon Dioxide, and other polluting gases. Production is also increasing, and its removal of forests, which "sop up" Carbon Dioxide, does not help.
About 1953, during some safety lectures at Dominion Tar and Chemical in Toronto, Canada, I learnt of the dangers of Carbon Dioxide, specifically that a relatively low concentration, about 4%, leads to death by apoplexy. Carbon Dioxide is a stimulant, and is added to oxygen cylinders in resuscitation equipment.
I mention this because in 1968 I learnt of the increasing Carbon Dioxide content of the atmosphere. There was then the start of the theories about the "greenhouse" effect, and the heating up of the world’s atmosphere. But what concerned me more was that we might be quietly "hyping ourselves up" on an insidious, and invisible drug, and "quietly going crazy”.
The increasing stimulation, - which will affect different people in different ways, and may lead to further stimulation through drugs or alcohol, religious fervour (coupled with the decreasing space for Mankind) and so forth - will lead to conflict. The fact that one can whip up the fervour over S.Africa, or Iraq, or Israel, or any other "sticking ones nose in someone else’s business" may be due to this universal, and unnoticed (and unstoppable) stimulation. The conflict will help, slightly, to reduce the increase of mankind. AIDs may help as well, natural disasters may too.

The first few paragraphs my 1986 talk on The Green House Effect and the Cost of Pollution, published in 1987 [ Ref 14 below] were thus:-
. Upsetting the world's environmental balance costs money to do it, and will cost a lot more money to undo it. Two courses are open to mankind: either to insure against trouble, and possible disaster, or to invest in means of containing or even reversing the trend towards ecological calamity. Is mankind prepared to pay the price? Do our rulers even know what price may have to be paid, and for what? Have governments, besotted by the supposed enmity of their neighbours, considered that their expenditure on arms may have to be replaced by expenditure on protection from another peril, a rise in sea levels? Or do we just sit idly by and, like King Canute, tell the tide to retreat. It didn't for him and it won't for us. A 'Canute' approach could cost less in the short run, but more in the long run.

THE POSSIBLE LINK BETWEEN GLOBAL WARMING/CLIMATE CHANGE AND INCREASES IN VIRAL ACTIVITY
DUE TO INCREASED CARBON DIOXIDE IN THE ATMOSPHERE
Hot Topics for August/September/October 2007
WHO warns of global epidemic risk Infectious diseases are spreading faster than ever before,
the World Health Organization annual report says. [August 2007]http://www.who.int/whr/2007/en/index.html

Dr Richard Betts of Hadley Centre reports that floods may be more frequent in future as plants in an atmosphere containing
CO2 release less moisture, so the ground holds more water and is more subject to flooding, see www.stabilisation2005.com/posters/Betts_Richard.pdf
“More wet summers as plants take less water” Daily Telegraph article by Charles Clover 30/08/07

Increase in Measles Virus infection, BBC News 30/08/07

USA Bee Colony Collapse Disorder may be due to Virus, Daily Telegraph report 07/09/07

Recently in Kent UK, there has been a serious outbreak of Closidium Difficile This bacillus favours acid conditions - which more Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere seems to be giving us. Alkali - soap, bleach - kill it. See reference below

The prevention of C. difficile requires the reduction of antibiotic-associated disease by minimizing high dosage, long-term, or combination antibiotic therapy. Reducing disease transmission depends upon isolation of carriers and symptomatic infected patients and minimization of patient-to-patient transmission. Disinfection of all colonoscopy equipment in 2% alkaline glutaraldehyde for 20 minutes destroys clostridial spores.

See also Carnegie Institute report at end.
oOo
In the late 1980's I was in touch with the Carbon Dioxide Division of the US Dept of Energy, concerning the Bethesda Conference in June 1980 on The Effect of Carbon Dioxide on Mammalian Organisms. [Ref 2] A subsequent letter down played the physiological effects discussed at the conference. [Ref 3] BUT:

In a telephone conversation with the Chairman of the Bethesda Conference, a Professor at New York State University, it became clear that no attention at all had been paid to any possible effects of rising CO2 levels on Virus Activity. Thus putting a different complexion on the possible importance of rising CO2 levels than that suggested by the US Dept. of Energy's letter. Which also did not refer to possible viral activity problems.

This may be very important, as CO2 is an acid gas and virus' prefer more acid conditions. This has been confirmed recently about the Foot and Mouth Virus, Ref 4]is well documented for the Influenza Virus [Ref 5], and may well also apply to the EBOLA and SARS Virus'. [Ref 6] This form of "life" passes through many "generations" in a short time scale, and is therefore much more likely to "mutate" under the stimulus of more "benign" (acid) conditions. Than Mankind, or any other air breathing species, with much longer "breeding cycles".

Increasing CO2 in the atmosphere might cause changes in breathing rates, and other problems [Refs 7, 8, 9 & 10] Also a lowering of blood stream pH ? The latter would in theory encourage viral activity. [Ref 2 & 6] Especially in warmer conditions. However as far as can be determined the foregoing was not a subject at the 1998 International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases at Atlanta, USA. {Ref 11]. HIV [Which is not affected by pH changes] and Climate Change were subjects for discussion. A number of individuals and organisations listed in the programme and abstracts would be worth consulting. And concerns have been expressed recently on the increased acidification of the Oceans, with harmful effects to Marine Life. [Ref 12]

It is suggested therefore that the “biological plague” of Mankind has both a physical and a physiological problem with rising CO2 levels. [Refs 12,13] Given that Nature made mammalian life possible by using leguminous life to reduce the CO2 content of the atmosphere. Followed by "burying" it as coal, gas and oil.
The reverse could now be starting with that "locked up" Carbon being released by the life form its reduction made possible. Following an old saying that plagues contain the seeds of their own destruction.

Avian ‘Flu may be being “encouraged” by the more “benign” atmosphere that it is now living in ? What about the great increase in “allergies” ?
Interestingly there is a “discontinuity” in Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide levels towards the end of World War I. Is it possible that due to the great quantities of CO2 released through explosives and transport fuel a “threshold” was reached which activated the “Spanish ‘Flu” virus ?
And given the intense use of coal in China, a "CO2 induced plague" is more likely to start there

Global Warming may be the perceived threat [Ref 14] but are Virus behaviour changes and other chemical/biological reactions to the increased CO2 in the atmosphere a more immediate and dangerous one ?

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REFERENCES

1/. Billins, Peter, British Biogen, in a workshop at the NEMEX Exhibition at the NEC, 18 November 1999. (Data on CO2 increases in the atmosphere)

2/. Effects of CO2 on Mammalian Organisms Report of a Workshop, 5-6 June 1980, Bethesda, Maryland USA, published Dec 1982 by the US Dept of Energy, ref CONF-800249 (with disclaimer) 24 US and one European scientist attended. (Undersea Medical Society Inc, 9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland, 20014, USA). Page 10-3 possible effects on enzyme systems which are pH dependant ? Pages 10-6 to 10-13 Malignancies reference to lymphoma and mammary gland lymphoma effects. (12 references). Page 12-2 possible changes in blood pH.

3/. Bland M K, Bailey H C, and Lipsett M J The Direct Biological Effects of Increased Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Levels, Stanford Research Institute International, US Environmental Protection Agency, Washington DC, 1982.

4/. The last outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease was described as "more virulent". The atmosphere has about 12% more Carbon Dioxide in it than in 1967. Is there any link here ? NFU President, Ben Gill, confirms that the virus is "pH sensitive". (Private Communication

5/. Beyer W E P, Ruigrok R W H, van Driel H & Masuel N, Influenza Virus Strains with a Fusion Threshold of pH 5.5 or lower are inhibited by Amantadine. Archives of Virology, vol 90, pp 717-181, pub Springer-Verlag. (Example of pH sensitivity in Virus').

6/. See http://www.meridianinstitute.com/newslet/Vol7-3/7-3.html pH sensitivity in Virus

7/. NIOSH recommendations for Occupational Safety and Health Standards. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Supplement, 34:No.1S, 1985.

8/. Characteristics of Information Requirements for Studies of CO2 effects Water Resources, Agriculture, Fisheries, Forests and Human Health. Ed. White M R, DOE/ER-0236, US Dept of Energy, 1985.

9/. Organic Claustrophobia, an association between panic and Carbon Dioxide. Freinhar et al. Int. J Psychosom, 34(2) 18-9, 1987.

10/. Experimental Induction of Anxiety, the case of Carbon Dioxide, Greiez E, Encephale Nov-Dec 1987, 13(6) 335-9 (36 references)

11/. International Conference on Emerging Diseases, March 8-11 1998, Atlanta, USA. (A lot of un-answered questions)
11a/. WHO warns of global epidemic risk Infectious diseases are spreading faster than ever before, the World Health Organisation annual report says.
http://www.who.int/whr/2007/en/index.html

12/. Ocean acidification
12a/. http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/news.asp?id=3250
12b/. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sciencealert-environmentalscience/~3/132643482/20071107- 16091-2.html
Coral reefs are at risk of going soft, quite literally turning to mush as rising carbon dioxide levels prevent coral from forming tough skeletons.
12c/. From Daily Telegraph, 21 March 2007, page 21 *Rising C02 levels 'put shellfish in danger'
12d/. Ocean acidification: the other CO2 problem From issue 2563 of New Scientist magazine, 05 August 2006, page 28-33

13/. Beneveniste, Dr Jaques, Effect of dilute solutions in Human Blood Streams, published in Nature, July 1988, and reported in the Daily Telegraph Magazine, 29 October 1988.

14/. Stobart A F The Greenhouse Effect and the Cost of Pollution, Talk given in October 1986, published in The Scorpion May 1987, and in Energy World March 1988.

Andrew Stobart, BSc (Chem Eng) Bower Orchard, Church Lane, Orleton, Nr. Ludlow, SY8 4HU, tel 01 568 780837, email mand01t@ferrand.care4free.net

October 1999, revised April 2001, August 2002, April 2003, August 2004, April 2006 & September 2007 e & oe.
See Also "Free oxygen not only supports life: it arises from life." Preston Cloud and Aharon Gibor "The Oxygen Cycle" Scientific American, Sept 1970
The basics are simple -- Plant life takes CO2 from the atmosphere, uses the C to build its own tissues, and frees the O2 required for support of other forms of life. Forests are responsible for most of the O2 freed on land. Recent studies indicate that climate-driven forest death is emerging as a global phenomenon. Phytoplankton are responsible for the O2 freed from (increasingly acidified) oceans. So, I couldn't help but take note of the comment below. "In sufficient concentration, the acidity can ... interfere with oxygen supply. "