Now that we are in the last week of December, we cannot help but reflect on the year we have had and the state of the world around us and if our recent blog posts are any indication, it has been a rough year. Unfortunately, we have some more tragic news to report concerning California’s trees, a topic we have covered numerous times in this blog. Well, according to Zoe Schlanger of Newsweek, “The California drought could spell death for 58 million trees and that’s terrible news for future water supply.”
So many trees, but this should come as no surprise to anyone. The four years of the drought has dramatically altered California’s landscape and the spirit of the citizens. Not only was there a lack of rain, but also numerous wildfires, the worst anyone has seen in years. There has been much research regarding the damage the drought has done to California’s trees and a recent report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science has solidified the possible damage to the tune of 58 million dead trees. This is all contingent on El Nino keeping up the heat, so there might still be a chance for their survival.
Of course, the death of all those trees will have an enormous impact on the look of California and the feeling of pride many Californians have regarding the beauty of their home. More important than that though is the effect on the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which will add to the already existing problem of climate change. To extrapolate the problem, the loss of these trees will destroy California’s weakened water system.
To hammer the point home, the article features a map of California with the hopes that it will educate Californians on what they are losing. Maybe in 2016 we can turn this situation around. What do you think? Is there anything we can do?
