Hacker News Reader

Comment by dependsontheq | Hacker News Reader

An overlooked problem in these kinds of articles is that fires are not a yearly problem. If you have 10 hectares of forest and in the first year 4 hectares burn down and afterwards every year one hectar ... there is no forest after 10 years. So it’s not a “win” that only one hectar got burned. There are several studies that point to possible tipping points where the Amazon as a weather/rain/cloud producing ecological system breaks down if you burn enough of it. Wherever that point may be at the end, we sure as hell are getting there step by step.

View on HN

The same article also contains this:

> For the last 35 years, the world has been re-foresting, meaning new tree growth has exceeded deforestation. The area of the Earth covered with forest has increased by an area the size of Texas and Alaska combined.

So, at least globally in aggregate, deforestration concern doesn't seem like a unmitigated disaster anymore. Of course, we still need to continue on reforestration / conservation as well as fighting more localized deforestration like in Amazon. But it's not all gloom and doom.

EDIT: Deforestration is still a serious concern.

Reforestation does not replace conservation. Most trees are planted for commercial purposes, which usually means monoculture. These kinds of forest don't support the same species whose habitats have been destroyed. Tropical rainforests in particular are most likely irreplaceable.

Having said that, commercial tree planting is still very important to keep demand for wood away from natural forests.

Also, cutting and possibly burning, even if trees are later planted, usually destroys soil and consequently water cycles. Poor soil with bad water retention means water, even soil runoffs, floods, and consequently water shortages.

Commercial wood forests tend to have shallow soil and poor retention.

Which ironically, could make the farmland they are burning the forest down for unusable (as it converts to desert)

What's not reported is recently arable land & "greened" deserts.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YBLZmwlPa8A

There are more meridonal jetstreams meaning changes to regional climate. Some places become deserts & some become green.

Exactly. One of the reason fires decline is because there is less to burn. Most of the major forests have already been wiped out at spots more susceptible.

This isn't the case, as it says the earth has been greening. This is in no small part due to higher CO2, which stimulates plant growth.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com