“NASA climate model shows plants slow Global Warming by creating a new negative feedback in response to increased CO2“. Anthony Watts thinks that NASA has accidentally revealed that Global Warming, which isn’t happening, will “naturally” slow because of plant physiology.
But I thought that plants loved CO2, the gas that’s “essential to life!” Could it be that there’s less to this story than meets the eye? Italics mine:
Bounoua stressed that while the model’s results showed a negative feedback, it is not a strong enough response to alter the global warming trend that is expected. In fact, the present work is an example of how, over time, scientists will create more sophisticated models that will chip away at the uncertainty range of climate change and allow more accurate projections of future climate.
Of course any time there is an improvement in climate modeling Anthony’s readers howl that it’s proof that them durn scientists don’t know nuthin’ and we should wait – forever – until they finally figure it all out. Or that scientists need to start listening to the “wisdom of the bloggers.”
Not that I’m a fan of science by youtube but this explains the whole issue pretty clearly
BACKGROUND……….AGW PLANT PRODUCTIVITY (CO2 &
Temperature) See the you tube video (of the paper that follows)
“Global Warming Reduces Plant Productivity”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Er3iD5PIR00 “Drought-Induced
Reduction in Global Terrestial Net Primary Production from 2000
through 2009” Zhao et al, (Aug,2010) “…allowing an upward trend
in NPP (net primary production) from 1982 through 1999. The past
decade (2000 to 2009) has been the warmest since instrumental
measurements began, which could imply continued increases in NPP;
however, our estimates suggest a reduction in the global NPP…”
“…a drying trend in the Southern Hemisphere has decreased NPP in
that area, counteracting the increased NPP over the Northern
Hemisphere…” “Warmer temperatures in China to reduce crop yields”
Reuters (Sep1,2010) on Piao et al paper in Nature “China only has 7
percent of the world’s arable land, but needs to feed 22 percent of
the world’s population. Although its total water resource is huge
in absolute terms it is only 25 percent of the per capita world
average…” “They forecast that rice yields would decrease by 4 to
14 percent, wheat by 2 to 20 percent and maize by zero to 23
percent…” by 2050. “Rice yields in tropical/subtropical Asia
exhibit large but opposing sensitivities to minimum and maximum
temperatures.” Welch et al, (Jan,2010) “Higher (nightime) minimum
temperatures reduced yield, whereas higher maximum temperatures
raised it…” “Looking ahead, they imply a net negative impact on
yield from moderate warming in the coming decades. Beyond that, the
impact would become more negative…” “Global phytoplankton decline
over the past century.” Boyce, et al (Jun,2010) “In the oceans,
ubiquitous microscopic phototrophs (phytoplankton) account for
approximately half the production of organic matter on Earth…”
“We observe declines in eight out of ten ocean regions, and
estimate a global rate of decline of ~1%…per year…”
“…long-term declining trends are related to increasing sea
surface temperatures.”
Many thanks, you made this old fools day!