Glaciers are receding so fast that the Alps may soon be glacier-less. On a trip to the Andes, I was told personally by a local guide how far a glacier in the Condoriri Group of the Cordillera Real had receeded just in the past 10 years – since he’d been guiding there. And everyday there seems to be more evidence that the earth will soon be a drastically different place. Here’s more: California’s native plants are in danger – even our beloved Coastal Redwoods and Giant Sequioa. Here’s the story from the San Francisco Chronicle.

The scary stuff:

If emissions continue at
their current rate and carbon dioxide concentrations hit 970 parts per
million in the atmosphere in the period from 2080-2099, the study found
that up to 66 percent of plants would disappear from 80 percent or more
of their present ranges.

Maybe we can fix it:

But if the emissions drop to below 1990 levels by the end of the
century, researchers predict carbon dioxide concentrations would reach
550 parts per million. At that level, the authors of the study said the
impact would be much less on native plants.

The current situation:

At present, levels are 387 parts per million, up almost 40 percent
since the Industrial Revolution and the highest for at least the past
800,000 years.

Grim comic relief. This puts a rather sad but very funny picture in my head of oaks and redwoods running for their lives.

If plants are able to move rapidly in the next 100 years, they would
have to move an average of up to 95 miles to keep up with changing
climate. The plants could move in different directions, potentially
breaking up familiar California native plant associations, the authors
said.