September 5, 2001

  • This graphic courtesy of NASA depicts those parts of the Earth becoming “greener” (that is, both more vigorous growth and a longer growing season) over the past 21 years.


     



    (all enhanced colors indicate "greening")


     


    Scientists in the upcoming Sep 16th issue  of the Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres are attributing this greening to rising temperatures linked to the buildup of greenhouse gases.  Their essential findings are 1)  the warmer the temperature, the more dense the vegetation; and 2) spring is arriving earlier and autumn is delayed by as much as 10 days—resulting in a longer growing season.


     


    I have always speculated amongst friends and colleagues that the buildup of greenhouse gases would benefit, at least in the short-term, the most developed countries and key powerful developing countries (China, Russia, Canada) by extending to them a more favorable climate. And this study seems to confirm my speculation. My reasoning was that if the warming trends were seen as immediately economically damaging to the preponderance of already developed countries, they would have intervened more robustly to curtail the foreseeable damage.  So the rich and powerful stand to become even richer and more powerful with abundant cropfalls now and in the near future.  Of course, those countries most benefiting may argue that the whole world will also benefit from a greening of these most arable regions by increasing the net food production for the entire world.  Indeed, they may be right.  Perhaps no other possible  “ring” of enhancing green-ness elsewhere could optimize net world food production more so than the current one.  


     


    So are we just lucky or is this more than a coincidence?


     


    And, of course, nobody is quite sure what the longer-term benefits and consequences of such transforming forces might be.  But I ask you: what country in this world is really planning and providing for more than its current generations and, perhaps, the very next?

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