Frontiers, Forests and Climate Change | Alexandra Morel | TEDxBeechenCliffSchool

Alexandra Morel will explore the topic of environmental change, relating to her expertise on the field of forests and their significance in the world.

[robertcallaghan]

Trees are not forests and need stability to grow.
*Redrawing The Climate Map by Paul Beckwith*
Tropics expanded 0.5° / decade for 40 yrs
Deserts are drifting north in the north + south in the south + and getting bigger
The 100th Meridian drifted 140 miles east since 1980.
The east is getting wetter + west is getting drier.
Tornado Alley drifted 500 miles east in 30 yrs @ 130 miles / decade.
Plant zones are moving north at 13 miles / decade.
Canadian permafrost zone moved north 80 miles north in many places.
The northern wheatbelt is moving north 160 miles / decade to where soils are not suitable.
The Australian wheatbelt is moving south off the continent.
Northern lakes not freezing over for winter is moving north 200 miles / decade
Northern lake ice season shorter + lake bottoms become oxygen depleted = Very very bad news.
Arctic albedo is dropping 1.3% / decade.
Arctic cold air has dropped 80% in 6 decades.
Warm arctic air splits the polar vortex.
Arctic methane warming metrics are seriously skewered downwards, under-estimating warming.
Warm moist Arctic air, less snow and melting glaciers means more wetland methane emissions.


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[HawaiianZeus]

That was not a very well prepared ted talk