{"id":1265,"date":"2020-04-24T07:31:12","date_gmt":"2020-04-24T07:31:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thepoetryofscience.peachpuff-wolverine-566518.hostingersite.com\/?p=1265"},"modified":"2020-08-01T05:59:01","modified_gmt":"2020-08-01T05:59:01","slug":"brain-smog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/thepoetryofscience\/1265\/brain-smog\/","title":{"rendered":"Brain Smog"},"content":{"rendered":"

As chimney stacks spew<\/p>\n

forth our tainted offerings of<\/p>\n

industrial excrement,<\/p>\n

dilapidated ventilators strain<\/p>\n

to suck poison from the<\/p>\n

saturated veins of concrete obelisks;<\/p>\n

their glass facades opaque<\/p>\n

to the inevitability<\/p>\n

of our subsidence.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Inside these effigies of excess<\/p>\n

numbered commodities<\/p>\n

sift spreadsheets like Sisyphus,<\/p>\n

smiles met with nodding heads<\/p>\n

as monotonous formalities<\/p>\n

fall from lolling tongues;<\/p>\n

their mute palates indifferent<\/p>\n

to the consciousness<\/p>\n

of our asphyxiation.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Listless bodies litter the cubicles;<\/p>\n

their rasping breaths attuned<\/p>\n

to the irony<\/p>\n

of our ignorance.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Air pollution in Delhi, India.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This poem is inspired by recent research<\/a>, which has found that rising carbon dioxide levels may directly harm our ability to think.<\/p>\n

Fossil fuel emissions from human activities are elevating atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2<\/sub>) to levels that are unprecedented in human history. This increase in CO2<\/sub> (and other greenhouse gases) is responsible for the effects of global warming that Earth is currently experiencing. This warming can lead to catastrophic events such as sea level rise and an increase in extreme weather events, both of which could thus be considered to be indirect effects of elevated atmospheric CO2<\/sub> concentrations. However, as well as these indirect effects there are also several direct effects that need to be taken into account, such as ocean acidification, vegetation growth, and the effects of indoor CO2<\/sub> levels on cognitive function.<\/p>\n

When we breathe air with high CO2<\/sub>\u00a0levels, the CO2<\/sub>\u00a0levels in our blood rise, reducing the amount of oxygen that reaches our brains. In turn, this lack of oxygen can increase sleepiness, heighten anxiety, and ultimately impair our cognitive function. Global outdoor CO2<\/sub>\u00a0concentrations currently stand at around 410 parts per million (ppm), i.e. for every one million molecules of air, 410 of them are CO2<\/sub> molecules. Guidelines indicate that the upper limit for the acceptable conditions of indoor air quality in rooms is 600 ppm. However, indoor pollution levels are often much higher than this; for example, according to the United States\u2019 Environmental Protection Agency, the average concentration of indoor CO2<\/sub> levels measured in public and commercial office buildings in the United States in the mid\u20131990s was closer to 1400 ppm. At this level, CO2<\/sub>\u00a0concentrations may cut our basic decision-making ability by 25%, and complex strategic thinking by around 50%. Whilst there may be ways to adapt to higher indoor CO2<\/sub>\u00a0levels (such as improved ventilation), the best way to prevent cognitive impairment is ultimately to reduce CO2<\/sub> concentrations by cutting fossil fuel emissions.<\/p>\n