Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Settled schizophrenic junk science?: CO2 will raise rice yields by 36% and reduce rice yields by almost 50%, or something

Climate Change Will Mean the World Eats Rice | Smart News

Ready your chopsticks, spoon or other utensil of choice. In a future featuring climate change, rice could soon become an even more abundant staple, thanks to a boost in carbon dioxide that make crops like rice thrive. Corn, on the other hand, does not operate as well with excess CO2 in the atmosphere.

The Wall Street Journal elaborates:

"Nearly 500 separate experiments confirm that if carbon-dioxide levels roughly double from preindustrial levels, rice and wheat yields will be on average 36% and 33% higher, while corn yields will increase by only 24%."

2009: Global warming may halve Bangladesh rice yields

Rice yield in Bangladesh is projected to decline by almost 50% by 2070, and pose a serious food crisis in the country. Scientists are attributing the cause to an increase in daily temperatures and fluctuations in rainfall patterns.

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