tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5549306427964459740.post6951590956924913925..comments2023-12-23T05:14:34.273-05:00Comments on Wit's End: ...and they all fall downGail Zawackihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800944469843206253noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5549306427964459740.post-22265907460692987602013-10-07T08:12:14.844-04:002013-10-07T08:12:14.844-04:00@Peter: Gail is not talking about stratospheric oz...@Peter: Gail is not talking about stratospheric ozone, but about tropospheric ozone.michele/montrealnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5549306427964459740.post-41739569544482688902013-10-04T21:05:51.217-04:002013-10-04T21:05:51.217-04:00It is hard to pin changes in the natural world to ...It is hard to pin changes in the natural world to any one cause. It's undoubtable, though, that the overpopulation and pollution of the earth by humans has caused significant changes to the natural world. Earlier in the season, when leaves were new, I did notice leaf burning or scorching, which I attributed to extra-strong ultraviolet radiation. Seeing leaves damaged in this way, when they are young and healthy and resistant to disease, likely eliminates disease as the cause of the scorched appearance. At that time, I did do some looking at weather/climate websites to find out where current 'ozone holes' were identified in the atmosphere. I can not say that I made a definitive connection between areas with a deficiency of ozone (which blocks ultraviolet radiation) and the scorching I observed in our area. That does not absolutely eliminate ozone lack as the cause, though, because atmospheric conditions are often transient and there could have been a short-term gap centered over our area. I did not observe any other agent which may have been the cause for the scorching, so, in my mind, I attributed it to solar burning.<br />I do not know whether stronger ultraviolet rays or warming, or something else, could be the cause of leaf color change in the fall. By this time, leaves are starting to deteriorate, and have become more vulnerable to various fungi and bacteria, not to mention insects. In any event, it is harder to attribute changes to any one factor because the foliage is naturally on the decline. My only observation for our county (Steuben County, western New York state) is that, now that leaves have started to change color, that they have changed at a faster pace than in other years I remember. However, this may just be a perceptive difference particular to me. (For instance, as we age, 'time' seems to advance at a more rapid pace.)<br /><br />These a just a couple of observations that I have made and speculation as to the causes.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11660710761361793270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5549306427964459740.post-27478148636147544552013-10-01T08:23:58.376-04:002013-10-01T08:23:58.376-04:00I know Tom, autumn is going by so fast I can't...I know Tom, autumn is going by so fast I can't keep up with it. By the time they have the FH steeple chase (http://farhillsrace.org/) which is timed for peak foliage, there won't be any left.<br /><br />I have read that grass is more resistent to pollution than broad-leaved plants and it does seem that my bamboo was doing better than most other things although the last couple of years it's had leaves turn brown and fall off too. For sure, some species are more resistant than others, weeds are notoriously aggressive and they even develop resistance to herbicides (google super weeds). Also, a very large issue with ozone is that effects are cumulative (even the EPA says so!) which means longer-lived vegetation like shrubs and trees gets damaged year after year, add to that, they lose immunity to whatever fungus, insects and disease are around which is often what knocks them out.<br /><br />I had a brief flirtation with F&WW as well but very quickly realized that most of the participants are not cognizant of the bigger picture, maybe it comforts activists to focus on one thing (like fracking or the Keystone pipeline or mountaintop removal) because that way they can measure some "progress" even if it's just getting an appointment with their local politician. But it is a fiction and ends up just being frustrating to me. There is no "solution" to overshoot, really, so one wonders what the point of protest is, especially because as you point out, things are spiraling out of control with dizzying speed.<br /><br />Thanks for reading, anyway!Gail Zawackihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01800944469843206253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5549306427964459740.post-27860563193242282162013-10-01T07:31:46.611-04:002013-10-01T07:31:46.611-04:00Hey, Gail - thanks for another great post. We'...Hey, Gail - thanks for another great post. We're all beyond mental help at this point. The signs I learned about here are truly everywhere I've been in the past year. Here in my own back yard the leaves have been dropping all spring and summer. There are far less leaves than usual and all the trees in my neighborhood look "thin" with many bare branches evident. It's strange that the weeds, vines and other creeping plants seem to be thriving without the discoloration, browning and signs of disease. Do lawns (grasses) behave the same way as leaves (ie. taking in CO2 and emitting O2 back into the atmosphere)? My grass is having problems - patchy, drying out in big spots and full of weeds - where in years past it was dense and lush. <br /><br />I was spending a lot of time volunteering with Food and Water Watch in their anti-fracking campaign for the past year, but now i'm convinced that we're moving far too swiftly into climate change (ecosystem collapse) to keep going at what was formerly known as the "glacial pace of political change" (since now the glaciers are melting far more quickly than politicians reactions and efforts, and humans have come to regard driving fossil fuel based vehicles as "normal"), so I've dropped out of the program. I tried to warn everyone during meetings and at any chance I had that things were spiraling out of control, talked about positive feedbacks having been triggered, pointed out the destructive changes to trees, pointed out the flooding and drought increases, and warned about our ability to grow enough food in the near future but was looked at like I needed counseling or therapy. Nobody wants to hear it, and I don't have the luxury of spending what little time I have left trying to convince people of what is patently obvious to anyone paying attention. <br /><br />Keep up the good work, I really appreciate your posts.<br /><br />TomAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5549306427964459740.post-4399079483424475002013-09-29T16:04:46.958-04:002013-09-29T16:04:46.958-04:00Hi Gail. Back in May when I was already seeing dam...Hi Gail. Back in May when I was already seeing damage on the new leaves here in Vancouver BC I thought this would be the year people finally noticed the problem. But the damage didnt accelerate as fast as I had expected in summer, based on what I had observed in Spring. So alas I think this will not be the year either. I was also up in the Yukon Territory this summer and the trees up there north of 60 are dying also,despite a population of only ~35,000 in the entire territory. Residents there could not believe how many of the mountains had all their snow melt this year. Usually a lot of them are still capped with snow late into the year if not all summer that far north. They had an incredibly hot summer up there this year, much like Alaska did.<br /><br />My parents did admit the trees looked "stressed" this summer, without my prompting. That's progress I guess considering a few years ago when I got into an argument with them over the tree deaths they more or less told me I needed mental help.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5549306427964459740.post-20157025134491431492013-09-28T21:15:15.635-04:002013-09-28T21:15:15.635-04:00I've noticed diminished foliage for so many ye...I've noticed diminished foliage for so many years, exponentially increasing. Nothing compares to southern OH in my youth; the maples were exquisite. I thought it was just me; glad to hear the explanation, but saddened, too. Yes, come to New England! There is still some beauty along the streams.Mossyhttp://www.gwenet.orgnoreply@blogger.com