The more I read online and see in the news about global warming, the more nervous I become. This is something that is happening in our lifetimes, and it's going to harshly affect the way we live.  I subscribe to a nice handful of green blogs, where they talk about anything from sustainable design to the effects of global warming and deforestation.  And one of the major effects of deforestation that I saw mentioned recently was something called desertification. 

Desertification is the process of transforming an ecosystem into an unnatural desert. There are plenty of natural deserts all over the world --places where, due to low rainfall or an aggressive climate, the land doesn't support much life or vegetation. But there are also whole swaths of land which, though they theoretically receive enough rainfall and have sufficiently mild climates, can't seem to support any more life than a natural desert. 

As time goes on, we can see that whole areas are becoming victim to the process of desertification. But what causes it? 

It's caused by us, of course!  In general, desertification is caused by acid rain from human pollution, overgrazing, the setting of fires, and (most of all), the deforestation that results from the production of paper and wood products.  Much of the time, one or all of these factors combine to wreak havoc on an ecosystem. 

When desertification takes place, a once-rich piece of land becomes nearly uninhabitable.  Animal species die, whole species of plant life vanish, and the earth as a whole loses many valuable resources-- including the oxygen produced by much-needed vegetation.  This not only has an effect on the environment around it, but speeds the effects of global warming, as well. 

If that's not enough, desertification also affects human civilization directly.  Because fewer trees exist to anchor the soil with their roots, flooding is becoming more and more common in "desertified" areas.  These floods both take human lives, and do more damage to already suffering ecosystems. 

Desertification was a new word when I came across it, and it may very well be a new word to you, too.  It's amazing to me that such an important subject can go unknown to so many for so long.  Fortunately, there are a variety of ideas on how to solve this problem.  Some of them would require a personal effort, such as reducing the use of office paper by creating a paperless office, as described in my previous blog entry. Others talk about passing laws to regulate the number of trees that can be cut down and the amount of domestic animals that can graze a certain piece of land after a fire. Even more speak of the need to develop more efficient schemes for fire prevention and reforestation. 

What do you think is the best solution to desertification? While wide, sweeping laws might be effective, some think they're limiting to consumers. And humanity as a whole has shown itself to be resistant to many "personal efforts." But something must be done. I'd love to hear your ideas about desertification's possible causes and solutions as I research this topic even more.