THE STUNNING SPEED OF THIS CLIMATE CHANGE

Scientists: Climate change morphing ecosystems in 'blink' of geologic time

Jacob Barker, September 11, 2015 (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

“…Higher levels of carbon dioxide are beginning to change [African grasslands] into forests…And studies show those trees will be bigger the more carbon there is…In some parts of Africa, [it may be necessary] to get rid of trees to preserve (biodiversity)…[A]s species within an interdependent ecosystem are thrown out of balance, the whole system is put at risk, threatening agriculture or causing other unintended consequences…Many of the Earth’s ecosystems and organisms, including humans, evolved during what was a period of carbon ‘starvation’...Just 200 years of burning fossil fuels has increased carbon to levels not seen in millions of years. Carbon dioxide has reached concentrations equal to or greater than current levels periodically throughout geologic time, wrought by changes in the Earth’s systems over millions of years…But continuing to emit carbon at current rates could raise atmospheric carbon dioxide to levels last seen tens of millions of years ago in the ‘blink’ of geologic time…” click here for more

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