Does a Warmer World Mean a Greener World? Not Likely!

摘要

Despite the “gloom and doom” scenarios depicted by most climate change scientists, the warmer world that we are creating can’t be all bad, can it? After all, hundreds of studies have shown that plant productivity is higher when temperatures are warmer and atmospheric carbon dioxide is high. Many models even predict an increase in global plant productivity, which has provided fodder for many to advocate the benefits of climate change to humans. Why wouldn’t we want a warmer and CO2-enriched world if it means higher productivity of plants, especially in impoverished regions where even slight increases in plant production could mean the difference between starvation and prosperity?