Policy & Politics Blog

4 February 2011

Apple trees versus rainforests

My 10-month-old daughter decided that I should start the day at 5.15 again this morning. I'm getting quite used to playing with toys early at the crack of dawn at the same time as watching BBC business news.

This morning, when they reviewed the papers, they highlighted the front-page of the Independent highlighting the catastrophic drought in the Amazon. They said that this had led to the rainforest to emit more carbon than the USA in 2010 - I really should have stayed in bed.

How worried should we be by this?

Well firstly, Dr Simon Lewis, the lead researcher, said that there is no conclusive proof that this is related to climate change but that having two severe droughts within a small space of time (the last was in 2005) was "unusual". The drought killed "low billions of trees". I'd like to think the two apple trees I planted at my allotment offset this a bit.

I think we should be worried. Very worried.

Does this mean we're doomed? No, I don't think so. I do, however, think we need to pull our finger out locally, nationally and globally and get on with the job of cutting emissions fast.

The technologies exist. Doing so would bring new jobs. It would make our economies more resilient to fossil fuel price increases. We could also even stop cutting down the rainforests to provide soy feed for chickens and pigs.

The rainforests are not yet doomed. Nor are we. And nor is my daughter.

Posted by Mike Childs | 04 Feb 2011 | Climate Change