A Putin Supporter Faces Climate Change

The book I'm reading, The Treeline; The Last Forrest and the Future of Life on Earth, is based on the travels of the author, Ben Rawlence, as he circled the tree line of the North Pole. It was a genius idea for a book because it illustrates the perils of global warming in a tangible way. All other material I have read discussed ice core samples, melting of northern ice, sea level rise, etc. The north pole tree line is something more understandable. What is happening to the tree line is very sobering. 

The part I am reading just now is about the tree line in northern Siberia. For the author to get there was so complicated I did not have the patience to follow on a current map. It is at least 6,000 miles from Moscow. He flew to the northern most airport, hired a translator, vehicle, two driver/mechanics and a vehicle with rubber tracks for otherwise impassible terrain. The vehicle pulled a tank of diesel fuel to last not only the travel for several days but to idle when not in use. The temp was around -40 F.    

Siberia is made up mostly of forest. The trees there represent about half the forest of the northern half of the globe. This means, of course, they are the "breathing" part of the north globe taking in carbon dioxide and emitting oxygen. The northern most landmass before the islands of the Artic Ocean is not without humans. It has been home to reindeer and reindeer herders for centuries. Most of this time the herders have been completely self-sufficient. They ate reindeer milk and meat and make flour from the bark of aspen trees. With global warming, aspen trees are taking over the frozen tundra. The reindeer lived by scratching away the tundra snow and eating the moss growth. Reindeer and herders may not survive there. 

The author's translator was a Putin supporter and, like Putin, thought the entire global warming worry was western propaganda intended as an excuse to limit Russian use of its resources. The Putin fan was encouraged that the tree line in that area was not moving north as rapidly as in Norway and other places. He thus concluded there was no global warming. Why the tree line is slowed there is not known by may be soil or water conditions.

The skeptic's doubts were dashed, however, by a Soviet research employee, an ornithologist, or who studied the area and said species of birds never before seen in the area have moved in. Grasses have moved north along with insects followed by birds. 

The concern is that the tundra permafrost contains vast amounts methane and carbon. If it, or some of it, is released by the roots of aspen trees it will have serious global consequences.