Among all of the misinformed assertions made during the course of the water supply debate, one of my favorites was that clear-cutting a mature forest and planting "replacement" saplings elsewhere is actually GOOD for the environment because new, growing trees absorb more carbon from the air than existing trees. An intriguing theory, but science tells us otherwise. To wit:
Planting New Forests Can't Match Saving Old Ones in Cutting Greenhouse Gases, Study Finds -- New York Times
Old Forests Capture Plenty of Carbon -- Nature News
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1 comment:
I read a fascinating book by Campbell that emphasized the value of myth to the masses. Many scientists fancy themselves as being purveyors of the truth, but myth has lasted for a reason :)
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