If you are green to gardening you might not know that carbon dioxide, the gas we all exhale, is critical to plant growth and development. Photosynthesis, the process through which plants use light to create food, requires carbon dioxide. CO2 concentration in ambient air ranges from 300-500 parts per million (ppm), with a global atmospheric average of about 400 ppm. If you are growing in a greenhouse or indoors, the CO2 levels will be reduced as the plants use it up during photosynthesis. Increasing the CO2 levels in these environments is essential for good results. Additionally, there are benefits to raising the CO2 level higher than the global average, up to 1500 ppm. With CO2 maintained at this level, yields can be increased by as much as 30%!
Commercial greenhouse growing hydroponic tomatoes with CO2 enriched air.
Commercial greenhouses are aware of this and commonly use CO2 generators to maximize production. One thing to keep in mind while designing a CO2 system is that yields will only increase if CO2 is your ‘limiting factor’ (for more on ‘limiting factors’ and ‘Leibig’s Barrel’, see our previous post here). This means that if all your other variables are not optimal (light, fertilizer, temp/humidity, pH, etc.) you will not achieve the benefits of increased CO2 levels.
Now that we know the benefit of adding CO2 to your indoor growing environment, one thing to note is that CO2 enrichment will not be as effective if your grow area is not sealed since it will be exhausted before the plants can use it. Ideally, air should not be exchanged in an out of your grow room. If you have an air-cooled reflector, the air drawn through the fan to cool the bulb must enter and exit the grow area without coming in contact with the air in the grow room. Sealing your grow space allows plants to more completely use the CO2 that you enrich the environment with.
Another thing to note is that during the night cycle plants actually give off CO2. This causes a gradual increase during the night, until the lights come on and the plants resume absorbing CO2; you can save CO2 by waiting an hour or so into your daylight cycle to cut your CO2 device on.
Lastly, CO2 is notably heavier than air, so it is essential that your CO2 be dispensed from above your plant canopy. Oscillating fans in the grow space, particularly around the CO2 dispensed, will help distribute the CO2 around the area.
Exhale bag CO2 system
Now, let’s look at the various ways you can increase CO2 levels:
Homegrown CO2’s Exhale bags are a great option if you would like to see what CO2 can do for your garden on a budget and without a lot of equipment (i.e. timers, regulators and monitors). Exhale bags are filled with mycelium (non-fruiting mushrooms) that give off steady amounts of CO2 as a byproduct of their metabolism. These bags end up costing less and can save you a ton of hassle compared to the infamous fermentation and dry ice methods. For $32.99 you can buy an Exhale bag (available in-store only) that covers a 4×4 area for 6 months. After hanging your Exhale bag above the canopy you can use a CO2 test kit to see how much it raises CO2 levels.
If you are ready to move up to a longer term, more efficient CO2 delivery system, then the next system involves using a pin timer (Apollo 8), a CO2 regulator and either a CO2 tank (available for purchase or refill) or a CO2 generator. Tanks are typically the better option for smaller spaces for ease of use whereas generators tend to be the better option for larger spaces since they run off of propane and can generate large volumes of CO2 at low cost. Now, with either source, set the pin timer to turn the regulator on for 15 minutes every 90 minutes or so. A CO2 calculator like this one, available from Greentrees Hydroponics, will help you determine how much CO2 you need to release to achieve optimal concentrations for plant growth. You can also use a CO2 test kit to dial in your system so that 1500ppm level is maintained. As your plants grow and the garden changes, retesting your CO2 levels monthly can help you tweak your system to maintain optimum levels. Note, if you are using a Titan CO2 Regulator, a ¼” dispensing tube is included. Hang this line above your canopy in a circle with small holes every couple of inches (to allow the CO2 to ‘rain’).
Finally, for gardeners that want to achieve constant optimal growth conditions without ever wasting extra CO2, a CO2 monitor is a great device. These monitors, such as the Titan Atlas-3, completely automate your CO2 system by constantly measuring the CO2 in the area. If the ppm level falls lower than what you set on the monitor, it will automatically open the regulator and dispense CO2. These monitors also come equipped with a photocell to ensure that you never dispense CO2 during the night cycle.
By: Chase Werner
Useful Resources: CO2 Calculator – This is a great tool to use to make an intelligent first calibration of what your requirements will be for your room size instead of guessing and checking.
Recorded in Madrid, Spain, the site of the UN’s COP25. Naomi Seibt, a popular YouTube streamer, speaks on her journey to climate realism, the state of science, and more during the United Nations’ COP25. She closed out our presentations in Madrid in the opening week of the conference. Watch all FIVE HOURS of Heartland’s Climate Realist Forum RECORDED LIVE from Madrid at the link below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3W8E…
9news.com.au
Pippa Bradshaw, Sheri Mimis
3 October 2019
A fed-up father has pulled his son out of school and has accused staff of brainwashing children, after the climate movement made its way in to his son’s Year 4 classroom.Around the country thousands of students have taken to the streets to protest on climate change, but Matthew Karlos is infuriated about the topic being taught at his son’s state school claiming, “it’s ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous.”Mr Karlos’ 10-year-old son Max told A Current Affair reporter Pippa Bradshaw “they asked us all to dress up as hippies, and sing this song, big yellow taxi.””We shouldn’t be worrying about the end of the world,” he said.Agreeing with his son, Mr Karlos claims, “it’s just brainwashing the younger generations.”
Max said he didn’t want to dress up as a hippie for his school’s environmental day. (A Current Affair)
The father and son duo are taking a stand against climate change activism.”They shouldn’t be teaching kids that, and yeah we shouldn’t toss away our rubbish like I said before, but we shouldn’t be worrying about the end of the world,” Max said.
The climate change debate has been front-and-centre of late after 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg called out politicians at the 2019 Climate Action Summit in New York on September 23, telling world leaders, “We will never forgive you.”
Dad Matthew has pulled his son out of school. (A Current Affair)
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison responded to her controversial speech, emphasizing, “I think we’ve got to caution against raising the anxieties of children.”When Max was told that one of his last days of the term, would be a ‘Greenie day’ it was the final straw for the young boy and his dad.”All the other kids, ’cause (sic) we were all in the one class at the time, they were all going, yay we can dress up as hippies, and I just said, what’s so good about it? There’s nothing good about them,” Max said.
Climate change protests have attracted thousands around the world. (A Current Affair)
“They just sit around doing nothing all day.”Students were also expected to sing to the go-to environmental song Big Yellow Taxi, written by Joni Mitchell, which has been covered numerous times, including by pop band Counting Crows.Mr Karlos had already kept Max home weeks earlier when students were asked to give a speech on the environment.
Max said he shouldn’t be worrying about the end of the world. (A Current Affair)
“It was to do with mankind induced climate change and all this business they carry on about now,” he said.This father, who is a second generation water farmer, has long had a beef with greenies, who are against his water harvesting business in northern New South Wales. “They don’t like the trucks on the road, they don’t like this, they don’t like that you know, so here we are” he said.
Matthew is a water farmer in northern NSW. (A Current Affair)
And now he’s had enough of his son also getting the greenie message at his state school.”You’ve gotta (sic) teach kids to be happy and positive and it’s all well and good to be concerned about the environment and wanting to teach kids good practices and basically not be grubs and throw litter around and this sort of thing, but you don’t have to be a greenie to do that,” he said.Parenting expert Dr Justin Coulson believes teachers are better off keeping the message positive, when it comes to primary school children.
Greta Thunberg has drawn worldwide attention. (A Current Affair)
“We just want to be careful in an education context that we don’t cross into the political sphere too much … you don’t have to be a believer or a skeptic to buy into the fact that it’s a good idea to talk positively about what we can do to make our planet healthier,” Mr Coulson said.Mr Karlos believes scenes of protesting around the country, as well as activist Greta Thunberg speaking out, amounts to brainwashing.”The fact that you’ve got supposed adults … pushing ideas on a 16 year old girl and using her as a pawn, is just disgusting; it’s child abuse,” he said.
Max will start at a new school next term. (A Current Affair)
“Just stop brainwashing the kids and being negative and teach them how to be positive about making good positive changes for the world, not all doom and gloom.”In a statement to A Current Affair, a spokesperson for the New South Wales Department of Education said, “studying controversial issues is acceptable for educational purposes.”Max will now start at a new school at the beginning of term four.
Climate change is real, and it may well become more problematic in the future, but misrepresenting the science and terrifying children and young people is not the way to face the issues.
When Erik the Red first arrived in Greenland, the fertile green land was perfect for farming. But within a few centuries the thriving Viking settlements had been wiped out by global cooling. The Little Ice Age is one of many climactic eras that have been scientifically identified. Since about 1850 the earth has been in a warming period. What is the role of carbon dioxide in warming? The best available records of temperature and atmospheric CO2 over the past 650,000 years indicate that the earth’s temperature always rises first, followed by a rise in carbon dioxide. If a warmer earth leads to increased levels of CO2 – and not the other way around – can humans’ use of fossil fuels be the cause of global warming? Shouldn’t this critical question remain open to scientific inquiry? Unstoppable Solar Cycles covers numerous educational standards across several subject areas including ELL, Media/Technology, Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies for Grades 4-12. To learn more about this educational program, and which standards it covers specific to your grade, subject area, and which standards your district is using, visit our educational program summary section for this video here: http://www.izzit.org/products/detail…. Subject Areas: ■ Science & Technology ■ World History / Geography Topics: ■ Climate Change ■ Debate ■ Scientific Method ■ Skepticism
Here are some of the top reasons why Greta Thunberg is a pawn and a fraud, manufactured by PR firms and used by an army of globalist climate change alarmists that seek to gain more financial and political control. They are creating an apocalyptic cult obsesses with the end of the world.
The Millennial Kiwi 