Plants could certainly take a big chunk of CO2 out of the atmosphere, but the total biomass of the planet cannot increase indefinitely. Flows from the stock of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere into the stock of carbon in plants and soils can take a set quantity of CO2 out of the air, but they cannot compensate for the constant flow of emissions arising from burning fossil fuels.

In order to stop climate change, we need to stop burning fossil fuels. Alongside that, we can use plants and soils to pull some of the CO2 we’ve already added to the air back out again.

(Oh, and in the very long run, weathering of rocks also removes CO2 from the air.)

Eating the Sun: How Plants Power the Planet

[CAM: Funnily enough, it's on my desk right now.]

[Cheers Kate!]

I am a bit obsessive about it, because it’s happening right here on my own little farm. But also, I think it’s important because many of the policy makers who work in Washington will soon notice it’s happening in their backyards as well. And that’s when we may see some transition.

Most people refuse to recognize the precipitous decline and foliar damage that is rapidly increasing in velocity.

For a while I thought it was global warming induced drought, or perhaps the vast change (40%!) in increased CO2. And I don’t rule that out.

But it’s definitely something atmospheric that is causing a dramatic rate of death in trees and as of this past growing season, annual crops, and aquatic plants.

I think it could be from burning ethanol. Or perhaps, from an increase in nitrous oxide. It’s been really difficult to find a trained specialist to even be interested in combining the realms of botany, physics, and chemistry.

The most sensible response I’ve gotten so far from writing to every forester and academic and government agency I can find was from a paleontologist who said simply, “climate change is always followed by mass extinctions.”

Because sure enough it seems to me that if one major component of the environment is altered rapidly – say, temperature or precipitation or the composition of the atmosphere, let alone more than one – then, the species that are evolved over millions of years to occupy that particular niche simply must die out, it’s inevitable. And then there are cascading effects as the loss of any one species affects the survival of another.

If you accept Darwinian evolution, no other conclusion can be expected. I have had foresters write me that trees and other species are robust. But I disagree. I think, the relationships between species, and with their environment, are delicately calibrated and any disruption has consequences.

I look forward to reading through your past posts and appreciate any response.

Gail
Oldwick, NJ