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Flattened Forest Fallout

THE HUMAN TRAGEDY OF HURRICANE KATRINA OVERSHADOWED ANOTHER OMINOUS AND ONGOING DISASTER.  WE’LL DISCUSS THE FALLOUT FROM FLATTENED FORESTS ON THIS ENVIRONMINUTE.

KATRINA'S WIND AND STORM SURGE DESTROYED THREE HUNDRED MILLION TREES, AND THEIR DECAY WILL RELEASE MORE CARBON DIOXIDE THAN ALL THE NATION'S FORESTS CAN ABSORB IN A WHOLE YEAR.

THAT CARBON DIOXIDE WILL CONTRIBUTE TO CLIMATE CHANGE, WHICH IN TURN MAY CAUSE EVEN STRONGER STORMS AND MORE MASSIVE TREE MORTALITY.

SO HOW CAN WE STOP THIS COMPOUNDING CARNAGE? JEFF CHAMBERS IS A BIOLOGIST AT TULANE UNIVERSITY. HE TRACES THE TREE TROUBLE BACK TO ITS ROOTS.

CHAMBERS: IF THESE STORM SYSTEMS BECOME MORE POWERFUL IN THE FUTURE BECAUSE OF CLIMATE CHANGE, THEN ULTIMATELY THAT IS LINKED TO CARBON DIOXIDE POLLUTION. AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO CONTROL.

AND THAT MEANS SAVING ENERGY AND SAVING FORESTS.

THE ENVIRONMINUTE IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE HEINZ FAMILY PHILANTHROPIES AND THE HEINZ ENDOWMENTS.  LEARN MORE BY VISITING ENVIRONMINUTE-DOT-COM. 

View NASA’s photos of the destruction.

Read more in the Washington Post.

Read a study by the USDA Forest Service in ScienceDirect.

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