Facing the unknown

Humans have never dealt with mass extinction

Mass extinctions are rare events but there are clear signs another one is on the way. To be blunt, things are not looking good for life on Earth.

The last mass extinction happened 150 million years ago, during the Cretaceous period, when dinosaurs and other large animals lived on Earth. Bad for the dinos, good for the mammals, from whom we evolved.

Humans have learned to solve many problems like building bridges and roads, transplanting organs, and curing many diseases. When a new virus appears millions of people die. New threats, the deadly unknown “novel” challenges are difficult to imagine and are easy to ignore.

The upside

Experts say we still have a chance to avoid a tipping point if we are willing to change. Consider the amazing accomplishments and the dreams of the human race, from the distant past, to the present, to the amazing potential of the future. How can we just give up without even trying? How can we ignore the art, science, music, and all other human creations? We need true effective solutions, climate warriors, and peacemakers.

Respecting nature and all people

In only nine years we need to cut carbon dioxide emissions by at least half. The challenge is not only about carbon dioxide, we need to learn to work together during severe weather and a worldwide pandemic. We are facing hate, racism, and environmental injustice, where poor countries and minorities are at higher risk.

“Combating climate change—it’s not optional. It’s essential,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said. To change the world, everyone needs to change. Compassion, care, peace, love, and good community behavior are essential.

Tipping points

Due to its size and composition, the Earth changes very slowly, until it reaches a tipping point. A tipping point is a very fast irreversible change. This is happening in the atmosphere from the carbon emissions created by burning forests and fossil fuels for the last 120 years.

Strategic forest carbon reserves

Protecting forests is an essential strategy. Trees capture and store massive amounts of carbon, as long as we keep them in the forests. When they die, old trees decompose and feed the forest soil. Forests are proven carbon sinks.

Dr. Moomaw, an expert ecologist and recognized climate expert is the father of “proforestation.” His team has suggested creating strategic forest carbon reserves, with selected forests to be protected in perpetuity.

Moomaw says, “Forests pull about one-third of all human-caused carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere each year. Researchers have calculated that ending deforestation and allowing mature forests to keep growing could enable forests to take up twice as much carbon. Half of a tree’s stems, branches, and roots are composed of carbon. Live and dead trees, along with forest soil, hold the equivalent of 80% of all the carbon currently in Earth’s atmosphere. Mature trees that have reached full root, bark and canopy development deal with climate variability better than young trees. Older trees also store more carbon. Old-growth trees, which usually are hundreds of years old, store enormous quantities of carbon in their wood, and accumulate more carbon annually.”

Burning forests must stop

Burning forests for electricity is a false climate change solution. Drax is the top burner, but South Korea and Japan are subsidizing the use of biomass power so heavily that it’s hindering the adoption of clean energy technologies like solar and wind.

Europe is a major growth region for biomass energy, where 65 percent of EU “renewable” energy comes from burning forests. The Finnish Prime Minister is lobbying the EU Commission to allow even more trees to be burned.

Twitter campaign

Let’s stop Drax’s deception and abuse by sharing the Arkansas air pollution violations with the COP26 organizers. Suggested tweet: “Burning forests destroys the carbon sink and releases all the stored carbon in the forests. Biomass is a false climate change solution unworthy of public subsidies.”

Here are the COP26 twitter accounts, @EU_Commission, @FinGovernment, @COP26, @COP26_Coalition, @theGCF, @BorisJohnson, @AlokSharma_RDG, @topnigel @Ggow_COP.

Dr. Luis Contreras