2 thoughts on “Cupid’s Worried About Climate Change”
Cocoa trees, nut trees and sugar cane are no doubt fussy about the quality of the air and soil in which they grow. Unfortunately, world-wide, invisible air pollution is killing trees and plants of all species.
At the top of page 4 in this report is a graph indicating the inexorable rise of constant, background tropospheric ozone:
It seems worthy of consideration that since ozone is toxic to vegetation, and the rising constant background concentrations are responsible for diminishing annual crops by significant amounts, that wild perennial plants and trees both indigenous and cultivated will sustain cumulative damage by absorbing it season after season. This explanation offers far more than mere correlation. It explains causation, specifically, two proven facts from repeated controlled fumigation experiments:
1. plants and trees with compromised immunity from exposure to ozone are more susceptible to attacks from insects, disease and fungus; and
2. plants and trees injured by exposure to ozone allocate less energy to their roots, making them more vulnerable to drought and wind.
There is no doubt that ground-level ozone – smog – affects trees and plants. Crop yields are reduced as well. Reducing smog and air pollution would clean the air, cool the planet and prevent millions of deaths and protect trees and plants.
Stephen Leahy, International Environmental Journalist 
Cocoa trees, nut trees and sugar cane are no doubt fussy about the quality of the air and soil in which they grow. Unfortunately, world-wide, invisible air pollution is killing trees and plants of all species.
At the top of page 4 in this report is a graph indicating the inexorable rise of constant, background tropospheric ozone:
Click to access Ozone.pdf
It’s from Japan, I chose it at random. There are endless versions from any number of government agencies and academia.
It’s also well established the ozone is toxic to annual crops, such as in this new research published in January from Princeton
Click to access bg-9-271-2012.pdf
which investigates the global reductions in annual crop yield and quality from transboundary ozone pollution.
Also pertinent is the now-documented fact that, indeed, forests are in decline everywhere on earth.
See: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/01/science/earth/01forest.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1&_r=1
It seems worthy of consideration that since ozone is toxic to vegetation, and the rising constant background concentrations are responsible for diminishing annual crops by significant amounts, that wild perennial plants and trees both indigenous and cultivated will sustain cumulative damage by absorbing it season after season. This explanation offers far more than mere correlation. It explains causation, specifically, two proven facts from repeated controlled fumigation experiments:
1. plants and trees with compromised immunity from exposure to ozone are more susceptible to attacks from insects, disease and fungus; and
2. plants and trees injured by exposure to ozone allocate less energy to their roots, making them more vulnerable to drought and wind.
More information and links to research: http://www.deadtrees-dyingforests.com/
There is no doubt that ground-level ozone – smog – affects trees and plants. Crop yields are reduced as well. Reducing smog and air pollution would clean the air, cool the planet and prevent millions of deaths and protect trees and plants.
Here is my article on new study showing how important taking fast action on smog is https://stephenleahy.net/2011/10/07/reducing-soot-and-smog-from-air-pollution-would-help-stabilise-climate/