Michele Bachmann is at it again, embarrassing herself as well as America.  In this video, she claims that CO2  is harmless and that it consists of 3% of the atmosphere (It’s actually 0.04%).  According to OSHA [pdf], more than 3% CO2 atmospheric concentration causes headaches, sweating, and dyspnea within an hour.  They recommend no more than 20 minutes exposure.

Exposure of humans to carbon dioxide concentrations ranging from 17 percent to 30 percent quickly (within 1 minute) leads to loss of controlled and purposeful activity, unconsciousness, coma, convulsions, and death (OSHA 1989, CCOHS 1990, Dalgaard et al. 1972, CATAMA 1953, Lambertsen 1971). Exposure to concentrations from greater than 10 percent to 15 percent carbon dioxide leads to dizziness, drowsiness, severe muscle twitching, and unconsciousness within a minute to several minutes (Wong 1992, CATAMA 1953, Sechzer et al. 1960).

Exposure to 7 to 10 percent carbon dioxide can produce unconsciousness or near
unconsciousness within a few minutes (Schulte 1964, CATAMA 1953, Dripps and Comroe
1947).

If I can find out this information in less than 5 minutes, how is it possible that a member of Congress remains so ignorant?  It’s difficult how such a person can get elected and re-elected, given her history  of stupidity.

Congressman Blumenauer’s response to Bachmann, which is hilarious, can be found here.