From: spike66 (spike66@attbi.com)
Date: Tue Dec 03 2002 - 08:48:53 MST
Ramez Naam wrote:
> From: spike66 [mailto:spike66@attbi.com]
>
>>Global warming would help melt back some of that
>>useless ice, create *more* land for animals
>>to live on, *more* plant life for them to devour,
>>warmer temperatures to support *more* life, not
>>less...
>
> Frankly, in my own area (Seattle), I've enjoyed the effects of global
> warming (more sunny days in the winter), but I realize that it comes
> at a cost. For example, Seattle is experiencing a blight of
> evergreen-devouring fungus that is encouraged by the unusually warm
> winters we've had recently. From my back yard virtually every pine
> tree I can see is now affected by the fungus and is as good as dead
> (once you see the signs, you know the root system is all but gone)...
Mez, the coniferous root fungus has little or nothing to
do with global warming. The greens claim it is, but that
is propaganda. What is killing the evergreens is your
lawn. You pour water on that lawn from the sprinkler
to keep it green, along with various fertilizers, you
and your neighbors. Add up all that water and compare
with the historic rainfall and temperature averages,
which haven't changed much and the mystery is solved.
My parents built a house 27 years ago, cleared the lot
but left 40 big pines. Over the years all but 2 of those
have perished. But the lot next door is just as densely
wooded with the same kind of trees as were there all along.
They added up the amount of water that was going on the
grass and it was more than the previous annual rainfall.
Global warming isnt to blame, its global watering.
Furthermore the grass changes the water holding
characteristics of the soil. The sandy Florida
soil would shed the water quickly, whereas the
grassy lawns maintain the moisture and encourage
fungi.
> These pines have an average age of several decades, so the damage done
> is not exactly quick to undo. This is the kind of unforeseen
> consequence global warming brings.
Its foreseen. There are other solutions, such as
planting lawns with grass adapted to dryer conditions
and then instead of watering it, you spray it with
a green dye that concentrates in the leaves. It
doesn't need mowing as often either, and is far
more tree friendly. spike
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