Why is most of the surface of Earth is not now producing anything green?

Question

In the distant past much more biomass was generated-why then and not now?

Answer 1

The last ICE AGE was but 10,000 years ago. The trend in the Earth's temperature has been up since then.

No wonder the world is getting warmer.

After the last Ice Age, much of the water trapped in the ice melted and created a much wetter (and more green) world. Can anyone say Noah's flood?

Answer 2

Most of the Earth's surface within 200 miles of where I live is
producing LOTS of green. I suspect the same is true beyond
my reach. How do you know what was growing in the
DISTANT past? Have you been reading second- or third-
hand accounts? Don't believe everything you read. The
Earth is teeming with life and doing well.

Answer 3

Also, it has to do with the many current droughts going on. Fires are burning so much up...and if you have read or heard- Australia is experiencing a big drought and it is very difficult to grow anything. I think it is also because we cut down so many trees and are ruining our Earth with chemicals (global warming as well). Its still nice and green in the east though.

Answer 4

In the distant past (millions of years ago) the climate was much warmer. There was no ice at the poles and plants grew in Antarctica.

Answer 5

One gallon of gasoline is about equal to 1000 man hours. pretty impressive. I say we just keep gasoline and jet fuel to power airplanes everything else can be powered by electricity and hydrogen and other green fuels. Just think of one person pushing a ferrari 200 mph for 4 miles. not gonna happen.

Answer 6

because there are twice the number of people starting out this century than started out the last one and deforestation for contruction in developing nations, for fuel in poorer ones, and agricultural lands using unsustainable farming prectices around the world are taking away the 'green'

Answer 7

roads cover an enormous portion ,so do cities and agriculture
here are some more reasons and posible remedies

desertification because of iresponsible farming,using chemicals,the over pumping of carbon aquifers,deforestation for agriculture and human settlement ,Overpopulation and poverty all account for the destruction of the Environment

we must look for ways to improve economic situations on the edges of Nature .

the only way to preserve the forrest is to devellop eco tourism under strict control that has limited acces ,and use the local people in the concept as guides ,hotel staff and get them to start home industries of artifacts .

eco tourism is the only concept that profits by a healthy back ground with out harming it

---------------here is a general note on deforestation
CAN DEFORESTATION BE STOPPED
Almost impossible

trees are coming down all the time ,
in My town trucks loaded with huge logs of exotic timber leave the mountains with permits bought from corrupt oficials almost nightly

we can only guess at the exact amount but from my house we can see many bare patches on the mountains and the river is constantly muddy in the last 3 years ,because topsoils, without the protection of the forrests , is washed into the rivers ,

this is just one place and this is happening all over Mexico ,the Market for the wood being the USA.

the Indians or local people would cut everything down and burn the forrest to replace it with harmfull short term farming killing the soil in no time

expanding populations and expanding farming ,that has to keep pace with the expanding populations are very strong forces that encroach upon the forrest's
clearing them for farming and settlement areas .

that and the giant networks of roads that have exchanged forests for asphalt all over the planet

In Mexico is a famous jungle that the Media has been trying to save for years
the Naturists ,and the government ,keep watch .laws are made for protection the wild and to forbid logging.
TV put out a series of documentaries
there are campaigns in the News papers
and all of this has not made the slightest difference

Rainforest's always are in third world countries and always in third world countries corruption and the need for money s highest

the jungle gets smaller by the day
more and more farmers move in .and burn the trees
it is an impossible situation
as long as there is poverty and an increasing birth rate in these regions the destruction will continue

they are too easily tempted to sell of exotic animals to the unscroupelous people who buy them.for the market that exists in the USA.

REFORRESTATION

we must reforrest and at the same time reduce our carbon emissions.
most governments are aware of these and many first world countries now include programs to reduce their carbon emissions.

the world bank pays large subsidies for farmers to plant trees especially a tree called Paulownia elongate carolinia,because it is one of the better ones that capture carbon.

IN THE PAST
the sahara used to be forrests
arabia ,irak ,iran used to be fertile lands in biblical times
Ghengas Kahn burned all the forrests here and filled the well with water and so turning vast lands into dessert.
the Spanish Armada deforested Spain
.the Phoenician fleet deforested Lebanon

Madagascar a botanic paradise is now destroyed
the exotic animals sold or killed ,the forest slash and burned for agriculture ,the coastal water poluted by topsoils washed fronm the denuded moutains by the rains.

many many countries in Africa (because of poverty and war as well as greedy farming )
Borneo because of the expensive timber
india ,China ,Mexico ,South Americas Amazonia,
Europe because of civilization,USA,Japan because of overpopulation,

NOTE
1000 trees that are replanted do not come anywhere near as producing the same effect or fullfilling the same function ,as far as carbon absorbtion ,production of humidity,climatic effects as the absorbtion or release of heat ,as ONE SINGLE FULLY GROWN TREE.

people keep saying we are good we cut down a thousand trees and replanted 20 thousand more

This means nothing in terms of environmental effects.

it takes at least 10 to 20 years before one of these replanted trees makes the same impact as the ones that are removed Source(s) read a planet under stress ,plan B --by Lester E Brown.
it is in an Adobe print out as well on the net.

http://byderule.spaces.live.co...

Answer 8

we have cut down a large number of trres and plants to build, areas that were once lush forests are now cities, rodes are made through forests, averall we we have replaced a large number of trees with impervious surfaces.

Answer 9

basically, as human population grows over time, more green will disappear. people take over land by cutting and destroying forests and wild habitats for more space when population gets bigger.

Answer 10

I dont believe that...Australia is in a drought...IBut it has been in a drought for thousands of years...we still grow green stuff!

STOP polluting the air with CHEMTRAILS.