More CO2 -> Less Nutrition

[mystifeid]

Who knew?

http://www.politico.com/agenda/story/2017/09/13/food-nutrients-carbon-dioxide-000511

[cekivi]

Weird to think about but I remember reading something similar to explain all of the megafauna back when dinosaurs walked the earth. Plants were huge but also not very nutritious so the animals got big in order to eat enough to process the nutrients they needed. It is unfortunate that it is happening again...

 

[KinoUnko]

interesting, a bit like animals packing on fat when eating extra food, stashing for the lean period that might come.

[cekivi]

Uh oh, I may be confusing articles. I may be remembering why insects were so large in the carboniferous period instead! 

It was due to the higher atmospheric oxygen content. It allowed for insects to grow large even with inefficient circulatory systems. 

[Timber Wolf]

Very enlightening.  Thanks for sharing this @mystifeid.