Slimy Science and Awesome Experiments

My 1926 edition of Arthur Mee's Children's Encyclopaedia (diphthongs were in at the time) was liberally sprinkled with educational experiments each designed to illuminate some basic scientific truth. Many of them appear here, although Arthur stopped short of the euphemistically titled 'Balloon Belcher' and of 'Ectoplasmic Gunk' (cornflour and water, really thrilling, I don't think!). As a book of safe and trivial 'fun things to do' this is fine but its lack of proper explanation of the 'stunning' results limits its value to 'wet day amusement' category. But hang on, one fifth of the 'experiments' involve the gratuitous production (with bicarb, and vinegar) of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide - obviously a marketing ploy to accelerate global warming, produce more wet days and better sales. Irresponsible or what?