Written by Mike Wolf   

Is the phenomenon most often referred to as "global warming" making us too stupid to recognize that we are in fact destroying our planet's ability to support our very existence?

Recursion is an idea that has long fascinated me. Structures within structures, hierarchies within hierarchies. Solutions within the problems, and problems within the solutions.

And it may very well be that the biggest problem with global warming - our inability to recognize it; could very well be a symptom of global warming.

But first, let's dispense with an inaccurate term: "global warming." Yes, the planet is getting warmer. But that's a lame description of but one symptom of the actual problem - that we are restoring to the atmosphere billions of tons of substances that once removed from the atmosphere, allowed humanity to develop: the carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen of those who gave their existence to allow for ours.

Fossil fuels are called fossil fuels for a reason; because they are the fossil remains of long-dead plants, animals, and other living beings. Their remains sank to the bottoms of oceans and, once covered with sediment, began the long process of becoming oil.

We have since pumped hundreds of millions of years of deposits of fossil fuels back into the atmosphere. We have done this to such an extent that we have increased the level of atmospheric carbon dioxide to nearly double the amount we humans are accustomed to.

This fact gave me cause for concern, especially as I realized it as I was undergoing therapy as part of recovery from brain damage caused by exposure to lead paint fumes in a house fire. Unfortunately, my efforts to research this aspect of what I prefer to call global carbon pollution were doomed to failure. What little research there must be on human brain function under increased concentrations of CO2 are likely hidden from me behind journals which charge for access, or security clearances (NASA resources revealed no applicable studies, and I have not been able to contact the US Navy for their submarine research to see if they have any studies.)

The purpose of this article then, is quite literally to ask a question: is the current level of atmospheric carbon dioxide adversely affecting the human brain.

To me, the answer is a resounding yes. I use an oxygen concentrator on occasion, and find my cognitive performance, to which I am extremely sensitive due to my injuries, improves significantly after oxygen therapy. I have also observed that the frequency of people experiencing symptoms of reduced oxygen to their brain, as manifest by "head rush" symptoms when standing up, has increased dramatically - including in myself, where I never actually had the problem before.

What I did find in my research was that OSHA states that long-term exposure to 1000ppm CO2 causes deficiencies in cognitive function. But OSHA's definition of long-term is likely to be on the order of under 8 hours, the length of a single work day. What are the effects of less elevated levels on a permanent basis?

I am currently inquiring with experts in CO2 transport in the human body, and hope to consult with experts on human brain function with regards to oxygen and carbon dioxide. I am hopeful that I can succeed in my inquiries and be able to update this story with further information.

It is quite clear to me, and I hope to you as well, that this is an important question to answer. If the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is adversely affecting the human brain and its ability to reason; I would suggest we are in deep trouble on a planetary scale. There is no doubt in my mind then that this question needs to be asked and answered by more people than just myself.