A new study reveals that increasing CO2 i-e Carbon di oxide in our Earth is actually helping to make the earth more Green.
An international team of 32 authors from 24 institutions in eight countries has just published a study titled “Greening of the Earth and its Drivers” in the journal Nature Climate Change showing significant greening of a quarter to one-half of the Earth’s vegetated lands using satellite data of the past 33 years.
The greening represents an increase in leaves on plants and trees. Green leaves produce sugars using energy in the sunlight to mix carbon dioxide (CO2) drawn in from the air with water and nutrients pumped in from the ground. These sugars are the source of food, fiber and fuel for life on Earth. More sugars are produced when there is more CO2 in the air, and this is called CO2 fertilization.
Burning oil, gas, coal and wood for energy releases CO2 in to the air. The amount of CO2 in the air has been increasing since the industrial age and currently stands at a level not seen in at least half-a-million years. It is the chief culprit of climate change.
About 85% of the Earth’s ice-free lands is covered by vegetation. The area of all green leaves on Earth is equal to, on average, 32% of the Earth’s total surface area. The greening over the past 33 years reported in this study is equivalent to adding a green continent about two-times the size of mainland USA , and has the ability to fundamentally change the cycling of water and carbon in the climate system.
While extra greenery – and its ability to absorb atmospheric carbon – sounds like a positive for the environment, the scientists warn that this side effect of high carbon levels will only be temporary, and won’t ultimately help against other consequences of climate change, such as severe weather, and rising temperatures and sea levels.
