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> The climate skeptics don't say tree trunks will get wider, they say there will be more plant biomass. Speculating that plant biomass might help mitigate glob

by amvalo 8y ago

> The climate skeptics don't say tree trunks will get wider, they say there will be more plant biomass. Speculating that plant biomass might help mitigate global warming doesn't really deserve the label "climate skeptic." It's already confirmed that rising CO2 affects crop growth rates.

nwah1 8y ago
What do you mean by mitigate global warming? I think what they argue is that there will be winners and losers, and it isn't some kind of black and white issue. For instance, the Saharan desert seems to be greening.
- saalweachter 8y ago
  > For instance, the Saharan desert seems to be greening. I hadn't heard about that, and my first few Googles came back without any good, definitive articles; do you have more information?
  - mrpopo 8y ago
    It's not. It's a false claim from climate skeptics based on this study: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-04616-8 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-04616-8 The study is about sub saharan Africa, mostly the African savanna, and the identified drivers are human causes (decline in burned area, changes in herbivores density). They explicitly exclude CO2 levels increase as a driver.
    - nwah1 8y ago
      >Factorial simulations with multiple global ecosystem models suggest that CO2 fertilization effects explain 70% of the observed greening trend, followed by nitrogen deposition (9%), climate change (8%) and land cover change (LCC) (4%). https://www.nature.com/articles/nclimate3004 https://www.nature.com/articles/nclimate3004
      - mrpopo 8y ago
        I acknowledge that CO2 contributes to fertilisation. I was refuting the claim about the saharan desert. Your new link doesn't seem to contradict me : > CO2 fertilization effects explain most of the greening trends in the tropics
        nwah1 8y ago
        Yes, I accept your correction. I accept that the Saharan desert may be greening primarily for other reasons. It seems to have been on a long term trend towards greening irrespective of the Industrial Revolution, and there are other human activities that are greening it. Although, your link does leave open the possibility that rising CO2 explains up to 22% of the greening in the Sahara.
        saalweachter 8y ago
        Incidentally the second (earlier) paper is cited by the first (newer) paper, so hopefully they are not in contradiction (since it was merely referenced and not responded to).
- Dylan16807 8y ago
  'mitigate' in this case means that some extra carbon gets captured, slowing whatever happens down. It's unrelated to the specific positives and negatives.

by amvalo 8y ago

nwah1 8y ago

What do you mean by mitigate global warming? I think what they argue is that there will be winners and losers, and it isn't some kind of black and white issue. For instance, the Saharan desert seems to be greening.

saalweachter 8y ago
> For instance, the Saharan desert seems to be greening. I hadn't heard about that, and my first few Googles came back without any good, definitive articles; do you have more information?
- mrpopo 8y ago
  It's not. It's a false claim from climate skeptics based on this study: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-04616-8 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-04616-8 The study is about sub saharan Africa, mostly the African savanna, and the identified drivers are human causes (decline in burned area, changes in herbivores density). They explicitly exclude CO2 levels increase as a driver.
  - nwah1 8y ago
    >Factorial simulations with multiple global ecosystem models suggest that CO2 fertilization effects explain 70% of the observed greening trend, followed by nitrogen deposition (9%), climate change (8%) and land cover change (LCC) (4%). https://www.nature.com/articles/nclimate3004 https://www.nature.com/articles/nclimate3004
    - mrpopo 8y ago
      I acknowledge that CO2 contributes to fertilisation. I was refuting the claim about the saharan desert. Your new link doesn't seem to contradict me : > CO2 fertilization effects explain most of the greening trends in the tropics
      - nwah1 8y ago
        Yes, I accept your correction. I accept that the Saharan desert may be greening primarily for other reasons. It seems to have been on a long term trend towards greening irrespective of the Industrial Revolution, and there are other human activities that are greening it. Although, your link does leave open the possibility that rising CO2 explains up to 22% of the greening in the Sahara.
      - saalweachter 8y ago
        Incidentally the second (earlier) paper is cited by the first (newer) paper, so hopefully they are not in contradiction (since it was merely referenced and not responded to).
Dylan16807 8y ago
'mitigate' in this case means that some extra carbon gets captured, slowing whatever happens down. It's unrelated to the specific positives and negatives.