Global Oxygen Depletion​

Oxygen crisis logo. The Earth as a big O2 molecule.

Are humans consuming oxygen faster than it can be replaced?

We are all aware of our reliance on fossil fuels and their byproducts of greenhouse gases and poisons, like carbon dioxide (CO2) and carbon monoxide (CO). But have you ever wondered about the other half of the equation? Where does the oxygen come from that is used to burn the fuel? Where does the oxygen go? And, is it possible to run out of air to breathe?

I recommend reading Introduction to global oxygen depletion, then you can dig deep into the issues below.

By the way, this has been a hobby of mine for a long time. I got tired of sucking exhaust while riding a bike, and it got me thinking. I put over a decade of research (thousands of hours) into this series.

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Underwater bubble ring of oxygen

Introduction to global oxygen depletion

As mankind burns more and more fuel, we are also burning more and more oxygen. Simultaneously, the Earth's ecosystem, the system that produces the oxygen, is being destroyed. At what point does the Earth reach a tipping point? And, how long before we run out of air to breathe?
A man wearing a gas mask watches television in a smoggy dystopian world.

How long before the Earth runs out of oxygen?

Have you ever wondered how much breathable air is on Earth, and if we'll ever run out? Our atmosphere is paper-thin relative to a basketball, and we use its oxygen to power internal combustion engines, create electricity, and manufacture products (cement, chemicals, plastic). Worse, we are destroying the plants that make more breathable oxygen.

More articles about global oxygen depletion

The articles above give you the basics about oxygen depletion. The articles below dive deeper into the individual issues of where our oxygen comes from and where it goes.

Further down are articles for scientists interested in attempting to measure atmospheric oxygen. 

How much oxygen a human breathes in one day. Infographic. This illustrates shows the surprising volume of oxygen used by a human. It compares the volume 551 liters of pure oxygen to the size of 8300 liters of air.

How much oxygen does a human breathe per day?

We often take breathing for granted, but our bodies process 8,300 liters of air every day to get the oxygen we need to survive. In this article, I show the math and compare this amount to how much a tree produces, and how much a car burns. This is part of my Global Oxygen Depletion series.
Phytoplankton bloom in the Barents Sea

The looming crisis of aquatic deoxygenation

Aquatic deoxygenation is accelerating worldwide, prompting scientists to propose it as a new planetary boundary. But the ocean’s 2% oxygen loss reveals an even bigger, overlooked threat: most of that oxygen outgasses into the atmosphere, masking the true rate of atmospheric decline. This article breaks down the science, the math, and why these hidden feedbacks may push Earth closer to an additional tipping point no one is talking about.
Wispy tendrils of hot dust and gas glow brightly in this ultraviolet image of the Cygnus Loop Nebula, taken by NASA’s Galaxy Evolution Explorer.

Where does oxygen come from and where does it go?

Like me, you may surprised to learn that there will never be more oxygen on the Earth (or in our solar system) than there is right now. And when it comes to the breathable kind, there will be less and less oxygen until it is gone, though, luckily, that could take billions of years.
How much oxygen does a tree produce?

How much oxygen do plants produce?

I calculate how much oxygen a tree breathes and how much excess oxygen a tree produces in three different ways. Spoiler alert: It's not a lot.
A dramatic picture of water droplets (clouds). A metaphor for the mass of oxygen on Earth.

How much oxygen is in the atmosphere?

I demonstrate how to calculate the mass of oxygen in the atmosphere. And I talk about ten reasons why the accepted values may be wrong.
Natural gas stove burning blue.

How much oxygen is consumed by fossil fuels per year?

What if the driver of climate change is NOT carbon dioxide but oxygen depletion? See the math to compare CO2 emissions to oxygen burned.
Global Oxygen Cycle sources and sinks. Illustration of oxygen being exchanged between land, sea, air and space, plus mankind's industry.

How much oxygen is consumed by the Earth per year by natural causes?

There are many ways oxygen is burned/consumed/oxidized. It is a very reactive element. We highlight the major natural causes, like: respiration, decomposition, forest fires, rust and more.
The world population growth chart of homo infographic sapiens infographic. At the rate we are going the line will be off the chart in a few decades.

Human population bomb

This graph illustrates the exponential growth of the human race and the consumption of non-renewable resources. The question isn't if the population will stop growing/consuming, but when?
An illustration of oxygen molecules (O2) and fossil fuel (C) going into the engine of a car, and molecules of carbon dioxide (CO2) coming out the exhaust pipe.

How much oxygen does a car burn?

We are all aware of our reliance on fossil fuels and their byproduct of greenhouse gases and poisons. But have you ever wondered about the oxygen needed to burn the fuel?

Articles for scientist to help measure global oxygen depletion

These are detailed articles that explore the problem and the solution to measuring oxygen depletion. 

A leaf of basil back lit by the sun and full of colorful sparkles.

How to measure atmospheric oxygen depletion

This article is more for scientists and field researchers. A practical step forward in determining global oxygen depletion rates. A conclusion to decades of research.
The song of global oxygen depletion. Art by @Stevenmarkperry.

10 reasons why global oxygen measurements may be wrong

Ten reasons why we might be measuring oxygen in the atmosphere wrong. And how global oxygen depletion may be a hidden driver of climate change.

Breathless:
The Oxygen Apocalypse

A new sci-fi book by Scott Stoll

If you enjoy science fiction, you’ll love this story about what might happen in a worst-case scenario if the world runs out of oxygen in a cataclysmic event. To be clear, the blogs above are based on facts and science; however, this book is a work of fiction based on years of research. 

Order now and find out what happens. 

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Breathless the Oxygen Apocalypse. Book cover. An image of a man living inside a giant jar with the last tree on Earth. Outside is a dead world that has run out of oxygen.