Climate Change/Mass Extinction Megathread

[Maladict]

Whatever the solution, it will require an economic mobilization at least on the order of WW2. It will still require sacrifices and social change.

It will take a massive disaster for that kind of mobilisation to happen.

[crazy canuck]

He was referring to our utilized land.  Our non utilized land is already mostly forest - in areas trees will grow that is.  Cities have been undertaking greening projects but a lot more could be done.

[Zoupa]

About 90% of all land area in Canada is crown land. About 40% of all land area in Canada is forested. We have a lot of room to plant.

[Malthus]

About 90% of all land area in Canada is crown land. About 40% of all land area in Canada is forested. We have a lot of room to plant.

I dunno how much we can do to change what's there already, though. Places currently without trees usually lack them because trees won't grow there.

Mind you, with global warming, the tree line will creep north.

[Barrister]

About 90% of all land area in Canada is crown land. About 40% of all land area in Canada is forested. We have a lot of room to plant.

We have an awful lot of tundra in Canada

[Zoupa]

Yup. Didn't think about the tree line and the Canadian arctic. Doh.

Still. I maintain we can plant more. Liberals campaigned on that iirc.

[Malthus]

One significant issue, in Canada, is that the areas of mixed deciduous forest are actually pretty limited (both by climate and the Canadian Shield) and those are exactly where people like to put both farms and cities - so much of that is gone under development.

One solution is to encourage mixed use of existing lands, to create more forestry in urban areas for example. 

[Valmy]

I say we turn Oklahoma into one giant forest.

[Eddie Teach]

Home of the Dust Bowl? I have a feeling it won't work.

[Valmy]

Home of the Dust Bowl? I have a feeling it won't work.

What better way to prevent a second dust bowl?

[viper37]

Alberta 

Harper did support investment in carbon capture and R&D on the subject for Saskatchewan, I think...
Environmentalists were against it, of course.  But that was expected.  If we wait on them to solve the problem, we'll long be underwater.

I've read Mexico city has artificial trees that absorbs CO2.  Don't know what it does with it though, I can not remember if it converted it in oxygen like a real tree, but 24/24, or if it was subterean capture or something else.

[crazy canuck]

Alberta 

Harper did support investment in carbon capture and R&D on the subject for Saskatchewan, I think...
Environmentalists were against it, of course.  But that was expected.  If we wait on them to solve the problem, we'll long be underwater.

I've read Mexico city has artificial trees that absorbs CO2.  Don't know what it does with it though, I can not remember if it converted it in oxygen like a real tree, but 24/24, or if it was subterean capture or something else.

Not sure what research on carbon capture has to do with the graph that was shown.

fyi Manning advocated for carbon taxes. 

[viper37]

I keep seeing that WW2 effort quote. Now I don't know the numbers so you guys correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't the most effective way to counter global warming be a massive reforestation effort?

A couple billion trees per 30 million people should do it.

To be effective, these trees would need to be planted where most people tend to live, in the temperate zones of the countries, exactly where there used to be trees...

Planting trees in middle of a desert is no use, and planting trees in the boreal forest is apparently counter-productive to climate change (read Le Soleil, last week-end, scientific chronicle, sorry can't find it right now).

Make Longeuil and Laval great again!  Let's plant trees instead of buildings!

[viper37]

Alberta 

Harper did support investment in carbon capture and R&D on the subject for Saskatchewan, I think...
Environmentalists were against it, of course.  But that was expected.  If we wait on them to solve the problem, we'll long be underwater.

I've read Mexico city has artificial trees that absorbs CO2.  Don't know what it does with it though, I can not remember if it converted it in oxygen like a real tree, but 24/24, or if it was subterean capture or something else.

Not sure what research on carbon capture has to do with the graph that was shown.

fyi Manning advocated for carbon taxes. 

Ah, I thought you were reacting to the carbon capture post. Sorry.

[Valmy]

Well we can plant cities in deserts now....