Governments, big business, climate scientists and the general public now overwhelmingly realise that climate change is a serious problem for the globe and is already upon us. It can no longer be ignored. If, by some miracle, we managed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions caused by human activity to zero by tomorrow, the world may still be inescapably locked into dangerously high atmospheric CO2 levels by as early as 2030. This is because the world’s oceans initially absorb most of our CO2 but re-emit 60% of it some 25-50 years later, as research by NASA confirms.

We do, however, have good cause for optimism, if we look to Nature, and help it to help us in our battle. The forests of the world are well regarded as the “lungs of the earth”, and yet we have been destroying them at an alarming rate over the last couple of decades, especially in the tropics. We need to stop this destruction, and assist re-forestation on a massive scale in order to preserve these lungs and their vital functions. Plants in the tropical forests grow very, very fast, almost like weeds, and we can achieve a rapid result just by stopping the clearing and burning, and allowing them to grow back.

Naturalist and educator, Andrew Turbill, told a full house at the Coffs Climate Action Group meeting on Thursday night (19th July) that, although we must move as quickly as possible to a carbon neutral economy, this probably will not be enough on its own to prevent the triggering of some major global-scale feedback processes, initiated by the elevated CO2 levels. These include irreversible melting of the polar ice caps, thawing of the permafrost, melting of the Greenland Ice shelf and shutting down of major oceanic heat distribution currents such as the Atlantic Gulf Stream. Andrew drew the attention of the meeting to startling reports and concepts of the Sustainable Science Team, an independent Australian research body whose work was recently summarised in a CSIRO’s Sustainability Network Newsletter (www.bml.csiro.au/SNnewsletters.htm see updates number 64 and 65).

The science behind these reports highlights the vital and possibly predominant role of tropical forests in maintaining global atmospheric stability. Since humans first embraced agriculture some 10,000 years ago, leading to large sedentary civilisations and ultimately the industrial revolution and beyond, we have been clearing forests at an astonishing rate. Firstly the huge temperate forests of the northern continents were felled, then the southern hemispheres suffered, but in recent decades we have seen unprecedented rates of clearing and burning of the precious belt of tropical rainforests.

As well as being major CO2 sinks and home to some 50% of the world’s life forms, these tropical forests are now understood to be vital in regulating the water vapour balance of the globe, generating their own cloud masses which reflect huge amounts of solar heat back into space and directly cool the earth’s surface. It has been estimated that as little as a 1% increase in cumulus cloud production across the Earth from reforestation could negate the warming produced through current levels of CO2 and buy time for us to transition to a carbon neutral civilization.

Essentially these forests have, over millions of years, played the vital role as the global braking system on global warming, but so much forest has now been destroyed that this brake can no longer hold back the warming caused by increasing Greenhouse gases. Putting an end to land clearing and deforestation, as well as launching a massive program of replanting these lost forests is a critical requirement if humanity is to apply the brakes on a warming planet.

A lively discussion followed Andrew Turbill’s presentation, and he urged those at the meeting to stay positive, become better informed and educate others on these concepts, then take action both as individuals and as a community. We may have only a small window of opportunity in which to act – perhaps as little as 10 years!

Coffs Climate Action Group meets every second Thursday 6:00 to 7:30pm, in the meeting room of the Innovation Centre, on Coffs Harbour Education Campus, Hogbin Drive. New members and guests are always welcome. Inquiries phone 6651 3841 or email info@coffsclimateactiongroup.org.au.