It seems that everyday I read the newspaper there is more bad news for the environment. Today unfortunately, is no exception. It appears now that the earth’s ability to naturally absorb carbon dioxide is diminishing as a result of global warming. Which is accelerating the rise in global temperatures, which is in turn reducing the earth’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide…and so on. This is something that has been predicted in computer models of climate change, but this is the first time it has been detected.
Historically, the earth has been able to absorb carbon dioxide through the oceans and rainforests, which have absorbed roughly half of all carbon emissions. Now there is far less rainforest cover and changing weather patterns are causing the Southern Ocean to become CO2 saturated, so it can no longer absorb CO2 from the atmosphere.
This is termed a ‘positive feedback’ where the effects of climate change cause increased climate change. The real worry is that more positive feedback events will occur to accelerate global warming to such an extent that we will lose any control we now have over the earth’s rising temperature. Not the cheeriest news on a Friday morning, but it is thought provoking.
From: BEST OF 2008: Eco-friendy and sustainable shoes