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Scientists Surprised to Find Earth's Biosphere Booming

Posted by timothy on from the but-there's-also-the-slow-hiss-in-the-background dept.

radioweather writes "An article from the Financial Post says that recent studies of biosphere imaging from the NASA SEAWIFS satellite indicate that the Earth's biomass is booming: 'The results surprised Steven Running of the University of Montana and Ramakrishna Nemani of NASA, scientists involved in analyzing the NASA satellite data. They found that over a period of almost two decades, the Earth as a whole became more bountiful by a whopping 6.2%. About 25% of the Earth's vegetated landmass — almost 110 million square kilometers — enjoyed significant increases and only 7% showed significant declines. When the satellite data zooms in, it finds that each square meter of land, on average, now produces almost 500 grams of greenery per year.' Their 2004 study, and other more recent ones, point to the warming of the planet and the presence of CO2, fertilizing the biota and resulting in the increased green side effect."

13 of 692 comments (clear)

  1. So now we have the by mrbluze · · Score: 5, Funny

    Green Side Effect as a result of the greenhouse effect. So are we all gonna die or not already?

    --
    Do it yourself, because no one else will do it yourself. [beta blockade 10-17 Feb]
    1. Re:So now we have the by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      So are we all gonna die or not already?
      Certainty? In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes.
      Benjamin Franklin

      The questions that remain are to the manner and time, the costs paid in the meantime and those costs left behind.
    2. Re:So now we have the by Xiroth · · Score: 5, Funny

      Feel free to read the rest of the post whenever you have time in your clearly busy schedule.

    3. Re:So now we have the by thermian · · Score: 5, Funny

      How do you go from biomass regeneration to WWIII?

      Anyway, Earth, in its aspect as a living system, can survive the impact of a gigantic Asteroid and destruction of almost all Plant and Animal life, repopulating back to previous levels within a few tens of millions of years.

      That the biomass is booming is simply an example of the very same mechanisms at work.

      All species go extinct, all of them, that includes us. The greatest likelihood is that the Voyager probe will outlast the species that created it.

      There is some small chance that we will make it to the stars and survive, but this will spark a new round of evolution. Result? Extinction of the current form of Homo Sapiens.

      My only consolation is that this includes the french :)

      --
      A learning experience is one of those things that say, 'You know that thing you just did? Don't do that.' - D. Adams
    4. Re:So now we have the by kickdown · · Score: 4, Funny

      > Mathematics is my light and salvation: whom shall I fear?

      Zero. And infinity. Especially on the denominator side of equations.

      --
      Continuous positive slashdot karma since... uh, maybe next year.
    5. Re:So now we have the by slim · · Score: 4, Funny

      ask any scientist how easy it is to get funding after you publicly doubt global warming. Surely you just approach an oil company? Or if that fails, there's plenty of right wing newspapers who will happily serialise your book.
  2. Re:The cycle.... by mrbluze · · Score: 5, Funny

    More CO2 => increased temperatures => more greenery => more CO2 absorption => decreased temperatures? Yeah, seriously, I think I'm gonna go back to believing in horoscopes.
    --
    Do it yourself, because no one else will do it yourself. [beta blockade 10-17 Feb]
  3. White house brainstorm session: by mrbluze · · Score: 4, Funny

    Moderator: How are we going to turn this into something that will scare the masses - we have a few more anti-privacy bills to pass..

    Jeff: We'll be attacked any minute by a muslim man-eating creeper and..

    Jill: What about we are all going to starve because.. uhh..

    Tony: We're gonna be taken over by weeds..

    Jill: Weed!

    Jeff: Man eating weed..

    All together: Muslim-man-eating-weed!

    Moderator: Great, let's write that one down.

    --
    Do it yourself, because no one else will do it yourself. [beta blockade 10-17 Feb]
  4. Re:The cycle.... by MrMr · · Score: 4, Funny

    You think the universe would be even remotely interesting without at least one really evil species?
    We could be the Vogons of the galaxy. I'd like the shouting part.

  5. Re:Return of the slime by arotenbe · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'd rather have fish and seafood than algae slime, thank you very much. Please, won't someone think of the sushi!
    --
    Tomato wedge sperm darts that are Republican.
  6. Re:The cycle.... by Yetihehe · · Score: 4, Funny

    I will write poetry, I'm really bad at this :D "Ode to extinctions: O thy, which is extinct, Don't ever come back, Because for you the race is over, Use burma shave".

    --
    Extreme Programming - Redundant Array of Inexpensive Developers
  7. Re:I agree by The+Master+Control+P · · Score: 5, Funny

    Oh look at this poor tribe that had to move from the coast presumably because of the ocean level rising (it has in fact declined on average).
    The inhabitants of low-lying atolls and islands all around the Pacific would like to have a word with you.
  8. Re:The cycle.... by Hognoxious · · Score: 4, Funny

    Have you noticed how mass extinctions often happen at the boundary between one geological period and another? I don't think it's a coincidence.

    My advice is to be extra specially careful around those times.

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."