Carbon dioxide, nitrogen and climate change are greening the Earth

Carbon Dioxide (“CO2”), also known as “nature’s fertilizer,” has steadily been enriching Earth’s atmosphere, from 320 parts per million in 1970 to 365 parts in 2000, to more than 412 parts today. The evidence of a flourishing planet is plain to see, thanks to satellite imagery that has been monitoring the amount of greenery on the planet since 1979.

As noted in a 2016 Nature study that tracked the changes from 1982 to 2016, although Earth lost some tree cover where forests became farmlands, those losses were far exceeded by new forests. Overall, since 1982, Earth’s tree cover increased by 2.24 million square kilometres, an addition to nature’s bounty of 7.1 per cent.

CO2 fertilisation is only one, albeit a predominant, reason why the Earth is greening. The study also identified climate change, nitrogen fertilisation and land management as other important reasons...<<<Read More>>>...