Bookworm Room

It took me a while, but I finally figured it out. First, CNN explained to me the single greatest cause of global warming:

Cutting down trees is pretty much one of the worst things you can do when it comes to climate change. Deforestation, by varying accounts, contributes anywhere from 20 percent to 30 percent of all carbon dioxide (C02) emissions — around 1.6 billion tons.

Second, China explained the source of its sudden and extraordinary deforestation:

China has lost about one tenth of its forest resources to recent snow storms regarded as the most severe in half a century, state media reported Sunday.

A total of 17.3 million hectares (43 million acres) of forest have been damaged across China as the result of three weeks of savage winter weather, the China Daily website said, citing the State Forestry Administration.

More than half the country’s provinces have been affected, and in the worst-hit regions, nearly 90 percent of forests have been destroyed, according to the paper.

As of the end of last month, disastrous winter weather had levied a toll of 16.2 billion yuan (2.2 billion dollars) on China’s forestry sector, the report said, citing the most recent data available.

So, if I understand this correctly, any future global warming will result from the violently cold weather in China that contributed to massive deforestation. I feel enlightened in an almost religious way at this point. It’s all so easy: terrible winters create endless summers.

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