Dole effect

Okay kiddo, let’s talk about something very important for our planet Earth! Remember, when we breathe in, we take in oxygen and when we breathe out, we release carbon dioxide. And that carbon dioxide goes up in the air and mixes with other gases - this we call air pollution.

Now, there are many things that cause air pollution, such as factories, cars and airplanes, and power plants. And all these things release a lot of carbon dioxide into the air.

But plants are very clever! They also breathe in carbon dioxide, just like we do, but they use it for making their own food. And as they do that, they also release oxygen, which we need to breathe in. This is called photosynthesis!

But here’s the thing, kiddo - when there’s a lot of carbon dioxide in the air, the plants get confused! They start to think that they already have enough carbon dioxide to make food, so they don’t bother to take in any more. This makes it harder for the plants to grow and make oxygen for us.

This is called the dole effect. When there’s too much carbon dioxide in the air, it makes it harder for plants to grow and make oxygen - and this is bad for all of us! So that is why it’s important to keep our planet clean and stop making too much air pollution, so that our plants can keep growing strong and making oxygen for us to breathe.