Glenn Beck: Clueless About Photosynthesis

Last updated on August 10th, 2014 at 05:44 pm

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In the midst of urging his listeners to cut down old trees for Earth Day, Glenn Beck argued that carbon dioxide is not poison. Beck asked, “How can carbon dioxide be poison when it is naturally occurring and trees need it to grow?”

Here is the audio courtesy of Media Matters:

Beck urged people to stop with the lies about carbon dioxide. In other news Glenn also appeared not to know what photosynthesis is. He doesn’t seem to understand the basic relationship between plants and people. He disagreed with Stu that photosynthesis is the process that plants use. For human beings, CO2 is waste product, which can poison in high quantities. I know that many Glenn Beck listeners are likely to not believe me, so I have come up with a simple three part test that you can try at home.

3 Steps to Prove that CO2 is Poisonous :

You will need a plastic bag, a role of tape, a friend (This test is also good for convincing your friends who don’t believe that they need oxygen to survive).

1). Take the plastic bag, and put it over your head. (Note: Check the plastic bag for any holes before you place it over your head. The test will not work with a ripped or torn bag).

2). Have your friend securely tape the bag around your neck. (You could try to do this on your own, but it is much easier to have a friend do it for you).

3). Breathe normally.

I understand that Beck is trying to get ratings but did he have to pick the most insane anti-global warming argument that there is? This is a popular position among the anti-climate change crowd, but they conveniently miss the point of the discussion. No one claims that CO2 itself is poisonous. The toxic effect comes from too much CO2 being omitted.

Just like the Glenn Beck listener with the plastic bag over their head, too much carbon dioxide is also bad for the planet, and will eventually kill it. I am no global warming crusader, but Glenn Beck is the one who needs to stop with the lies, not the scientists.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association