Emerging consensus on Climate

Publication of "The World's lungs: Forests, and how to save them" in the September 25, 2010 of The Economist (www.economist.com)provides a clear and realistic look at the endangered status of our forest ecosystems at this critical point in climate change.

As Vacliv Smil said ( from Bill Gates notes page http://www.thegatesnotes.com/Learning/article.aspx?ID=25), the choices that we make over the next few years will make a great deal of difference in how climate change goes.

It's encouraging to me to see a respected and influential news magazine focusing on our responses to climate change, without wasting space on the folks who would distract and deny the changes now clearly underway.

"Seeing the wood" uses solid facts, astute observations of the interactions between politics, policy and corporate behavior to inform, educate and motivate effective actions that can improve our relationship with nature.

While it is a great report, it doesn't really convey the urgency, nor explain how the tipping points that we are approaching are really gateways to another world.

They hint of it when mentioning the role that the Amazon rainforest helps provide the moisture to the temperate zones of both South and North America as the trade winds blow against the Andies. If the forest doesn't perform it's hydrological function, there could be a major desertification of what are now prime agricultural regions. Passing the tipping point into desertification would bring famines. This might be only one of the most immediate effects. As recovery can take geological time. Look at the African Sahara, it's not turning back into a tropical paradise any time soon. Look at Abu Dhabi, where without desalinated water there would be almost no greenery, no trees ( didn't see any forests...).

Publication of this report here, in this form, is encouraging. We need to be focused on understanding as best we can, the dynamics of the change that human society has set in motion, and to the degree possible, make intelligent choices so that we mitigate the impending tsunami of changes that the coming heat wave will bring.

Bruce Bagnoli

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