Climate change. It’s no longer controversial – and anyway it only was controversial as long as it suited the oil lobby to say so. Now that they see that there might be an end to the fossil cash cow, and that they’ve seriously invested in a diverse portfolio of renewable and nuclear energy and cars, they probably can stop paying scientists to say that there is no statistical evidence.
There’s always the percentage of humanity that says “i don’t care as long as i can buy that yacht/horse/porsche”, which has started to speculate on carbon credits. Kyoto has allocated a certain amount of ‘carbon spending’ to countries. Trading can ensue: countries that have more of a service industry, and will reach their targets with a margin, can sell their credits to, say, an asian country with high economic growth (losing somewhat sight of the original idea, which is to reduce overall emissions).
But I believe most of us have started to understand what’s at stake, and see and feel the effects.
In the meantime, some people wonder if we’re not past the point of no return. Which doesn’t mean that we should start pumping out CO2 like there’s no tomorrow: the most sensible course is still to save what can be saved.
My awareness of the subject heightened again this summer, when I visited the Canadian Rockies. Heart-breakingly beautiful landscapes. But get this: glaciers manage 70% of water storage. Every spring, snows melt from on the glaciers, and feed the rivers flowing through the forrested valleys. And the glaciers have been receding at a frightening pace – about half over the last century. Imagine those splendid ecosystems menaced by drought.
Most of British Columbia already has a very real problem: the mountain pine beetle‘s expansion is usually curbed by the severe winters. But since the winters are less cold, the beetles are prospering and begetting, and whole forests are being devoured.
Then there are many species that are not equipped to deal with sudden temperature changes, and biodiversity takes a hit.
Anyway, cheerful thoughts. Past time for action, in a rational manner:
- pressure politicians to formulate and enforce regulations on businesses
- take the bike, insulate your house, and switch off appliances when they’re not needed
Your children will thank you.
Impact of the Spruce Beetle
While we do still have the advantage of using such a fine timber as Sitka for acoustic soundboards, there is one more problem facing spruce forests across North America, that being the spruce beetle. The spruce beetle is small, reddish brown and generally gets under the bark of the tree where it continues its infestation. In the past 25 years, outbreaks have resulted in estimated losses of more than 25 million board feet in Montana, 31 million in Idaho, over 100 million in Arizona, 2 billion in Alaska, and 3 billion in British Columbia. The seasonal life of the beetle is now prolonged due to the effects of global warming and it was last reported in 2004 that roughly seventy thousand square kilometers of B.C.’s interior forest were infested, while that number may easily have doubled by 2005. When the trees are infested they are left to rot, or in some cases used as potential pulp for paper. This adds to the danger of forest fires which in the end are probably the forests best natural deterrent to rid the beetle.
As we can see this shall continue to have an effect on future supplies of Sitka, and the problem may only continue to escalate. This could in turn increase the demands on European spruce in the future for instruments and thus cause future prices on European to escalate.
Thanks Ray for this addition.