Dead pine trees as far as you can see.Pine bark beetle has a temperature range that trapped him in certain parts of the nation. Temperature increases of a only a few degrees set loose an infestation sweeping out of the southern tip of the range, in only a few years it is past Yellowstone and closing in on the Canadian border. It is killing most species of pines. My last few trips into the mountains are not vistas of green pines, but dead brown ones for miles. Vertical gasoline. There is a spray, but it is impossible to spray the western US, both physically and the volume of chemicals is impossible to accumulate.
Global warming has expanded the range of the beetle to damn near the whole West. When the pines are dead, chip monks, porcupines, bears, flocks and flocks of birds all die, millions of square miles of lost habitat and food sources. When the trees fall, burn, or are cut, other things will try to grow, but it won't be just aspen as many think, aspen occupy specific sides of a mountain or valley, they may increase a little but thats all. More likely it will be prickly pear cactus and sage. The lush mountains we know will change a lot in the next few years, becoming more rugged and harsh. Without pines erosion will set in, faster run off means less water, fewer springs and brooks, dirty lake water, hot summers in the mountains due to less shade and cooling evaporation through trees. Many hiking guides for the Rockies now warn, watch for falling trees, and camp where you can get away from fires fast.
Do you think no one can see global warming? Drive to the Rockies and check out the standing ghost forests.
Those that claim climate change is a liberal myth will just find another reason to deny science - Aren't those orange pine trees pretty..
ReplyDeleteGood post...
Sarge
Unbelievable and horrific. These are the kind of things that Republicans call "out of sight, out of mind". The climate is changing and the right's reason for ignoring this? unknown. I just don't get it.
ReplyDeleteSarge,
ReplyDeleteOrange, brown, grey, it's depressing. Around Silver city in New Mexico the mountain sides are almost 100% dead trees for miles. I don't understand how they haven't had even more fires, these things are like gasoline columns 75 feet tall. Very lucky the fires have not been more than they have.
Red Mosquito,
ReplyDeleteNot much of the public gets out into the woods or mountains, most spend only a few minutes from building to car each day. Change in climate, in the number and types of fauna around us is so slow as to be of little notice. But within a decade much of the Rockies losing most of their pines, it is so shocking to me, I don't understand why it's not in the news, a lot. I went to Glacier national park and could see almost no glaciers, they have pictures of where they were 90 years ago, 20 years ago, and now without a hike into the high country you can see nothing of some, a tiny snow field of a a couple of others. Out of sight out of mind is a good observation, making it so easy for the lies to flurish.
Mooner Johnson, So glad you found your way over here. Thanks, maybe I can learn something from you.
ReplyDeleteI notice there a number of people on blogspot now signing off their comments with this uplifting and positive phrase, it lifts the spirits thats apparent. It makes me feel happy to read it, and so I will adopt it as well for occasional use. I'll be over to see you soon.
Fuck Rick Perry!