Title: Continued fossil fuel emissions and cognition impairment

Authors: Alberto Boretti

Addresses: Deanship of Research, Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University, P.O. Box 1664. Al Khobar 31952, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Abstract: It has been claimed that the dangerous rise in atmospheric CO₂ levels will impede our brain functions, and namely that the continued fossil fuel emissions will impair cognition. In particular, it is said that indoor CO₂ levels may reach levels well above 1,000 p.p.m. and this may be harmful to cognition by the end of this century. It is shown as even continuing at the present rate the atmospheric CO₂ concentration is not expected to exceed 690 p.p.m. by 2100. Since no significant effects on cognitive performance are seen also for indoor CO₂ levels much higher than 1,000 p.p.m., opening the window of crowded spaces could be a simple but effective mitigation strategy better than building up wind and solar capacity.

Keywords: fossil fuel emission; global warming; impairment of cognition.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGW.2021.115116

International Journal of Global Warming, 2021 Vol.24 No.1, pp.86 - 90

Received: 14 Jun 2020
Accepted: 25 Oct 2020
Published online: 18 May 2021 *

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