Quote:
Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard
The facts about this were quantified by the US Air Force at Hanscom Field right here in MA when they were designing heat seeking missiles. Carbon dioxide blocks a fairly broad piece of the infrared spectrum, but not all of it, and they had to figure that out. Water vapor blocks a smaller and slightly different part of the spectrum, and other GHG also have their own "signatures" in the part of the spectrum.
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Actually water vapor absorbs more of the spectrum than CO2, which is why it is considered one of the main feedbacks for global warming. Down at the longer wavelengths there is very little energy in each photon emmitted, so the energy excanged down there is very small. If I remember correctly the 4 micron band is the only region that CO2 really contributes as any smaller wavelength requires a higher temperature (more energy) to become active.
Other than that your post is basically correct, though it is less of effect than the increase in energy input.
Edit to add: below 200ppm or so plants start suffocating due to a lack of CO2, above 1000 incects start suffocating due to too much CO2.