A Lesson on Percent. And Breathing.

by Terri Kammerzell

​Truth of Genesis Ministry Partner

With the U.S. Presidential election quickly drawing to a murky close, now is a time we see a lot of headlines with numbers followed by a percent sign (%). So I thought this would be a good week to share a different percent with you.

What percentage of oxygen is necessary for human life?
Earth’s atmosphere must always contain 21% oxygen to maintain life.

While it might seem that some candidates use up a larger percentage of “hot air” than most people, the truth is that our unique planet was very carefully, intentionally, and thoughtfully designed with just the right balance of gases in our atmosphere. This may lead you to ask some other questions:

1. Is it exactly 21%? No, it’s actually about 20.8%, but generally needs to stay in a range of 19.5-22% in order for humans and animals to have the right intake of oxygen.
2. What makes up the other 79%? About 78% of it is nitrogen, and the other approximately 1% is a combination of other gases such as argon, carbon dioxide, ozone, sulfur oxides, and nitrogen oxides.
3. Do any other planets have 21% oxygen in their atmospheres? No. No other planets in our galaxy or any planets scientists have observed in other nearby galaxies have been found to have the right amount of oxygen to support human life. More specifically, within our own galaxy:
   • Mercury has almost no atmosphere (no gases immediately surrounding the planet).
   • Although similar to Earth in size and composition, Venus has an atmosphere so dense it is more than ninety times the mass of Earth’s atmosphere, and it is composed primarily of carbon dioxide.
   • In some ways, Mars is also like Earth: its rotational period and axial tilt resemble that of Earth. However, its atmosphere is very thin and, like Venus, mostly made up of carbon dioxide.
   • Jupiter itself is made up of gases, so it cannot support human life. Its atmosphere is mostly a combination of hydrogen and helium gases.
   • Like Jupiter, Saturn is also a “gas giant,” and its atmosphere is also comprised of hydrogen, helium, and trace compounds such as ammonia and methane, which give the planet its interesting colors.
   • Like the other gas giants, Uranus has an atmosphere composed primarily of hydrogen and helium, but it gets its blueish color from methane, which it has more of.
   • Finally, Neptune is an “ice giant,” and like Uranus has an atmosphere of hydrogen, helium, and methane.

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All these beautiful planets, yet not one of them has the right percentage of oxygen to sustain human (or animal) life. Earth is the only one. This is another great example of (1) why it is unlikely we would ever find human life on another planet and (2) God’s hand in the unique and irreducible complexity of not just our bodies but the environment for which we are suited.

In a world with a 100% chance of sin, conflict, or strife, I hope this reminder of your unique living space has brought at least 10% of the blessings to get you through your day. Fortunately, our Creator is a good and loving God whose mercies are 100% new every morning. You can count on them, along with your 21% of oxygen.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!   Psalm 150:6 (ESV) 
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Don’t just take my word for it! Visit YouFormedMe.com/astronomy/oxygen.html to read, watch, and listen to supporting research and commentary from scientists, doctors, theologians, and more!
This blog is from a special series of “Creation Fun Facts” by Terri Kammerzell, starting from June 10, 2020. Read the introduction at TruthOfGenesis.com/blogs/building-a-biblical-defense-of-creation.