“You Could Say D.C. is the New North Carolina”
EmailA climate story in today’s Washington Post raised some eyebrows around here: the National Arbor Day Foundation reporting that Washington is becoming home to trees that were previously only found south of there.
Above is a map from the Arbor Day Foundation, and a description from David Fahrenthold’s story: "In a revised map of "hardiness zones" — bands of similar temperatures where similar trees are likely to grow in winter — the foundation reclassified the entire Washington area in the same zone as parts of North Carolina and Texas. In 1990, the region was on the border of northern and southern growing zones, but a foundation official said that has changed after 15 years of balmy winter weather." Take a look at the rest HERE. One local trend does not a global trend make, but it may fit with other trends to make something larger. The National Arbor Day Foundation itself has a page on its report HERE, including an animation of the map above to show how it says tree species have shifted northward. The Post quotes Bill McLaughlin, a curator at the U.S. Botanic Garden: "You could say D.C. is the new North Carolina."
Space Station Flies Over Eastern U.S. at Night 
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Considering this trend with others that scientists have noted, can anyone really debate the issue that climate change is occurring?
Posted by: chuck | December 20, 2006, 12:01 pm 12:01 pm
The good news is that there are still trees growing, providing us with a good CO2 scrubber and oxygen.
The bad news is that though global warming is mostly innocuous to us, it’s not to people of the Pacific Island nations, nor polar bears, penguins and others.
Posted by: Andy | December 20, 2006, 1:03 pm 1:03 pm
I think the debate is not so much about the climate changing as it is about the cause of the change. Yes, there is some climate change, but is man causing it or is the earth in a natural cycle of warming? Alternatively, could it be a little of both? Either way, were going to have to learn to adapt, but as someone who lives in Southeast Michigan, I am sure not minding this mild winter we are having so far. Which could very well be from El Nino?
Posted by: Kerri | December 20, 2006, 1:57 pm 1:57 pm
I know the jury is still out on your question, Kerri, but I can’t help thinking how fortuitous it is that the warming curve almost exactly coincides with the onset of the industrial revolution. I guess time will tell, as it usually does.
Posted by: Andy | December 20, 2006, 2:21 pm 2:21 pm