Canada's Forests Now Add To Climate Woes

[Boggy1 45]

VANCOUVER - As relentlessly bad as the news about global warming seems to be, with ice at the poles melting faster than scientists had predicted and world temperatures rising higher than expected, there was at least a reservoir of hope stored here in Canada's vast forests.

The country's 1.2 million square miles of trees have been dubbed the "lungs of the planet" by ecologists because they account for more than 7 percent of Earth's total forest lands. They could always be depended upon to suck in vast quantities of carbon dioxide, naturally cleansing the world of much of the harmful heat-trapping gas.

But not anymore.

Forestry officials in British Colombia used a controlled fire to check the spread of a

devastating infestation by the mountain pine beetle.

In an alarming yet little-noticed series of recent studies, scientists have concluded that Canada's precious forests, stressed from damage caused by global warming, insect infestations and persistent fires, have crossed an ominous line and are now pumping out more climate-changing carbon dioxide than they are sequestering.

Worse yet, the experts predict that Canada's forests will remain net carbon sources, as opposed to carbon storage "sinks," until at least 2022, and possibly much longer.

... Link below for full story quote>

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-canada-trees_wittjan02,0,539661.story

Interesting, if scary story. Not good.

[Craig91 12]

We're all screwed. I honestly believe the majority of humans are stupid for a reason; to destroy the world. It seems almost inevitable. Meteors, ice ages, now humans. Let's just hope we are intelligent enough to try and avert more things like this...we probably aren't

[simsmart 1]

I wouldn't say that, although it is true that the human race will someday go extinct... Better start on that bunker!

[hamsterTK 93]

It's called fire, and people need to let it burn and stop putting it out and interfering with nature.

[LarksTonguesInAspic 28]

Meh, no one has come anywhere near proving humans are responsible. We didn't create the beetles that are killing all those trees (see full text of story). The evidence shows the natural cycles go back long before we could possibly have been responsible for, and have done much more damage in a much faster time. El Nino was first recorded in the 1600s by Portuguese sailors.

Even scientists from Gore's group are recanting some of their claims as 'mistaken', and 650 scientists signed on to the Gov't report (see my post in the Global Warming thread) saying that there's a lot of misinformation and fear based on false or incomplete science. The fearmongering is just absurd.

[Explodingsims 3]

This is kind of old news.

I've been hearing about these beetles for a while now.

Also, like hamster said, people just need to let those fires burn.

It naturally cleanses the forest. If some houses burn down, then quit building them so close!

[Goldfish4209 9]

Another sign that we may be reaching the so called "tipping point". Time is running very short to stop global warming before we kill us all.

Seriously, even if all human emissions are stopped today, the earth may keep warming and create more and more feedback cycles that release more and more carbon into the atmosphere, turning earth into venus.

But who knows, maybe I'm insane today.

[TheQuiltedLlama 34]

Originally posted by: manticorefan  We didn't create the beetles that are killing all those trees (see full text of story).quote>

If you had read the article properly, you would also have noticed that the increased spread of these

beetles is due to the higher temperatures caused by man-made climate change. Another sign that we have reached, or are about reach, a tipping point where climate change becomes irreversible.

Some of you may prefer to continue ignoring the 99% of scientists who agree Climate Change is happening and is man-made, but I, for one, think this isn't a risk we can afford to take. If we act and it turns out they are all wrong, we've wasted a lot of time and money. But if we don't act and it turns out they're right, then we're all dead. I know which option I prefer.

It's time to stop pissing around with 'carbon trading' and fancy light bulbs and to seriously invest in Public Transport, renewable energy and, if necessary, nuclear energy. If we stand any hope of defeating climate change then all Co2 emissions need to be halted as soon as possible.

[panthersimcity4 162]

Originally posted by: TheQuiltedLlama  

Some of you may prefer to continue ignoring the 99% of scientists who agree Climate Change is happening and is man-made, quote>

Not just scientists even.

The Vatican

some Evangelical leaders believe it or not

and pretty much every country except the ones that haven't ratified the Kyoto protocol *COUGH*United States*COUGH*

[Yoman3 5]

I suppose you haven't noticed that everyone that did ratify it have completely ignored it or not met the goals outlined in it. At least the US had the balls to admit that it was unreasonable.

[LarksTonguesInAspic 28]

Originally posted by: Yoman3 I suppose you haven't noticed that everyone that did ratify it have completely ignored it or not met the goals outlined in it. At least the US had the balls to admit that it was unreasonable.quote>

 

Thank you. I think though that the new administration is poised to shove this kind of thing down our throats, regardless of its ineffectiveness and misguided goals.

[Shingure 56]

It just goes to show that the world is coming to an end

With Canada now out of the forest picture looks like we are going to suffocate and die when 2020 comes around.

And if that happens I will laugh and say to those who don't believe in global warming. "I told you so, My parents told you so , and scientist for 50 years told us so. So this is the consequence." Another learning expirience to put in our bags if we survive such a thing such as carbon dioxide invasion. Which can happen especially during this time of year when most trees are hibernating.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

All this is not very new.  You can't fool with mother nature and not expect something to fall off.  The whole shebang is one giant machine and all parts are interrelated.

Any competent geologist will explain that the surface of the earth is less than a fingernail's paring of the whole earth.

A biological fact is that no organism can long survive in an environment of its own waste.  By long is meant the amount of time necessary to poison the organism.  Yeast is quickly killed by its own alcohol output, but it will take us a few more years.  Please note that recorded history goes back only about  10,000 years.  We are probably nearing the limit.