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While it is true that some land that is now arable will become desert (IF we are too lazy to bother getting water to it for irrigation), land that is now frozen will become arable land as the climate warms (IF we are not too lazy to find water to irrigate it)......
How will presently frozen land become arable as the climate warms? There is no arable soil there, it's all rocky desert, albeit frozen right now.
So when the rocky desert thaws out even if there is water available for irrigation how is rocky desert land going to become arable and productive?
You can't grow crop plants simply by putting water on warmed up rock. You can grow lichens on rock and that's about it. Lichens aren't edible. And they take decades to grow.
So how are we supposed to turn rock into fertile soil?
Land that is presently arable now is arable only because it is soil that was crushed, scraped up and deposited there by glaciers. When the glaciers receded they left the arable soil behind. Now much of that presently arable land that was left behind by glaciers is going to turn into desert dust, which means there will be less arable land altogether.
You are right, it certainly IS a question of reality.
If it gets warmer I see many pluses. Seas levels will rise conveniently getting rid of many liberals on the sea board and potentially changing the voting demographics of this nation. : )
It is just too bad Chicago would not likely be affected : (
In my area, I remain hopeful of a warming climate though I would bet on cooling. I grow a lot of stuff and peaches are not dependable here, nor are figs and apricots. All three might be viable commercially under warmer conditions.
Of course HoneyCrisp would be done for and Northern Spy, KeepSake, Zestar, Macoun and other cool season apples but then I could ripen GoldRush and grow Cornish Gilliflower apples instead : ) And I don't think my pears would care either way, heat cold, they just don;t care (sort of like the HoneyBadger)
How will presently frozen land become arable as the climate warms? There is no arable soil there, it's all rocky desert, albeit frozen right now.
So when the rocky desert thaws out even if there is water available for irrigation how is rocky desert land going to become arable and productive?
You can't grow crop plants simply by putting water on warmed up rock. You can grow lichens on rock and that's about it. Lichens aren't edible. And they take decades to grow.
So how are we supposed to turn rock into fertile soil?
Land that is presently arable now is arable only because it is soil that was crushed, scraped up and deposited there by glaciers. When the glaciers receded they left the arable soil behind. Now much of that presently arable land that was left behind by glaciers is going to turn into desert dust, which means there will be less arable land altogether.
You are right, it certainly IS a question of reality.
Global warming will usher in a new era of viability, a quantum leap in organism expansion both animal and plant. Just like it has over eons and eons.
Harsh winter and our forests are empty and lifeless. Warm winter and we have deer, birds, critters everywhere.
I dunno, I'm pro-life. Bring the warm on
If you are pro-life you should not welcome global warming. Many species will cease to exist - polar bear is one of the more visible, iconic species that will disappear. Estimates for species extinction are as high as 25%.
Okay, if you say so. I didn't know humanity was so technologically advanced at this point in time that the world can be fed hydroponically. Can you tell me how commercial hydroponic growers would grow hundreds of thousands of acres of important outdoor crops like wheat, corn, rye, canola and oats hydroponically? How about hundreds of thousands of acres of important root crops like potatoes, sugar beets, carrots, onions? How about all the squashes, and fruits and nuts trees? Just to mention a few things as examples. You know, all the basic staple foods that need water but can't have wet roots all the time or else they rot. Not talking luxury foods like cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce that people don't really need and are a dreadful waste of water anyway, just the actually important staple food stuffs that people really need. How about hay and other fodder for cattle, pigs, turkeys, chickens and other livestock that are raised for human consumption? Or will humans just have to give up on eating meats, eggs, milk, cheese because they can't provide food for the livestock?
How long would it take to create the billions of gallons worth of plant nutrients (and where will the nutrients come from?) and to build the several thousands of miles of energy supply stations and the unimagineable infrastructure required to grow everything hydroponically for 7 billion people and all the animals that people eat? Will it take longer to build all that than it's taking the climate to change, keeping in mind that the climate is changing really, really fast now and the world isn't going to be the same place in 10 years from now?
Considering all the resources that would be required to accomplish it I think maybe some of that could be done in another two or three hundred years. I don't think it can be done right now. But right now is what needs to be dealt with because it's right now that the climate is changing and it is not having a beneficial effect on food sources, contrary to what a lot of people are day dreaming about.
Of course there are benefits to a warming climate. Longer growing seasons, and since there are huge tracts of land in the north that could then be used for growing food to feed a hungry world. But relax. AGW is just a big hoax. Austrilia is having a record cold winter, Alaska's summer ended a week early, and Greenland has had a cold summer. The AGW picks out a spot on the planet that is above average warmth and screams GW for the entire planet. Sounds a lot like the story of "chicken little", which it is. We were told that 2013 would be ice free in the Arctic. Hasn't happened yet.
Okay, if you say so. I didn't know humanity was so technologically advanced at this point in time that the world can be fed hydroponically. Can you tell me how commercial hydroponic growers would grow hundreds of thousands of acres of important outdoor crops like wheat, corn, rye, canola and oats hydroponically? How about hundreds of thousands of acres of important root crops like potatoes, sugar beets, carrots, onions? How about all the squashes, and fruits and nuts trees? Just to mention a few things as examples. You know, all the basic staple foods that need water but can't have wet roots all the time or else they rot. Not talking luxury foods like cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce that people don't really need and are a dreadful waste of water anyway, just the actually important staple food stuffs that people really need. How about hay and other fodder for cattle, pigs, turkeys, chickens and other livestock that are raised for human consumption? Or will humans just have to give up on eating meats, eggs, milk, cheese because they can't provide food for the livestock?
How long would it take to create the billions of gallons worth of plant nutrients (and where will the nutrients come from?) and to build the several thousands of miles of energy supply stations and the unimagineable infrastructure required to grow everything hydroponically for 7 billion people and all the animals that people eat? Will it take longer to build all that than it's taking the climate to change, keeping in mind that the climate is changing really, really fast now and the world isn't going to be the same place in 10 years from now?
Considering all the resources that would be required to accomplish it I think maybe some of that could be done in another two or three hundred years. I don't think it can be done right now. But right now is what needs to be dealt with because it's right now that the climate is changing and it is not having a beneficial effect on food sources, contrary to what a lot of people are day dreaming about.
.
You sound like a alarmist to me. I actually started to write a serious response to your comments but then reread your post. Sufficient to say, you know very little about hydroponics nor agriculture science. Good day.
Positive benefits to global warming? Yes, for years now my summers have been cooler and wetter then I remember from 50 years ago. So far this month we have had 6 inches of rain and a normal August here would be just a trace of rain.
The corn and soy beans look great and have looked great for years. The farmers are getting rich over global warming.
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