The Destruction of the Earth’s Photosynthetic Capacity

Let's start from the mundane and then work our way through its implications to some interesting conclusions. It is well known that if a Tree is set on fire then nutrients will escape into the environment and boost the growth of other Photosynthesizers. The same is true of Forests. If a Forest is burnt down the nutrients will get into the environment and boost the growth of other Photosynthesizers. Eventually the Forest itself will regrow. This line of argument can be taken to the extreme by arguing that if oomans chopped down/razed all the world's Trees then most of the nutrients would eventually end up in the oceans where they would boost marine Photosynthesis. And, once again, the Forests would eventually regrow on land. This argument has led the greenless greens to a startling scientific discovery: the second law of thermodynamics applies not only to energy but to the Earth's Photosynthetic capacity. In this view, Photosynthesis (like energy) can neither be created nor destroyed. It is possible to change the location of Photosynthesis but it isn’t possible to destroy the overall scale of Photosynthesis on Earth.

The second law of Photosynthetic thermodynamics, or Biodynamics, implies:

* firstly, that the Earth’s Photosynthetic capacity is indestructible: the greater the anthropogenic destruction of Photosynthesis, the greater the release of nutrients, the greater the boost to the remaining Photosynthesizers, the more rapid the recovery of the Earth’s Photosynthetic capacity.

* secondly, that the Earth’s Photosynthetic capacity is constant - it varies around a fixed point. No matter how destructive oomans are to some parts of the Earth’s Photosynthetic capacity, the release of nutrients into the environment always ends up boosting Photosynthesis in the other areas of the Earth thereby pushing global Phytomass back to its original level.

* thirdly, that oomans can behave as irresponsibly as they want towards the Earth's life sustaining processes because they cannot permanently reduce, let alone destroy, the Earth’s Photosynthetic capacity.

* fourthly, that global burning should not be taken seriously because no matter what oomans do they cannot damage the Earth's Photosynthetic capacity sufficiently to trigger off an unstoppable global burning disaster.

* fifthly, if the Earth’s Photosynthetic capacity is indestructible then, in effect, oomans too are indestructible. There may be famine in one area of the Earth that will lead to the deaths of many people, but there will never be a global famine, i.e. the planetary destruction of Photosynthesis, threatening the survival of all oomans. Some parts of the Earth will always be fertile enabling the oomans who live there to survive.

In other words, oomans believe the Earth is a big green bouncy castle. No matter how destructive oomans are to Photosynthesis in one area it just bounces back in other areas. The startling implication of the ‘constant Photosynthesis’ hypothesis is that oomans can do whatever they want to the Earth’s Photosynthetic capacity without ever posing a threat to their survival as a species because Photosynthesis is endemic to the Earth. The second law of Photosynthetic thermodynamics is almost a guarantee of ooman survival. It's ironic that many of those who dismiss lovelock’s science of geophysiology tend to hold the belief that the Earth’s Photosynthetic capacity is constant and can thus recover from any damage which oomans inflict on it. They dismiss the idea of life regulating and stabilizing the Earth’s climate ..... yet they believe in a homeostatic, self stabilizing, biological system which ensures constant global Photosynthesis.

The fact is, however, that oomans can destroy Photosynthesis faster than it rejuvenates. What is more, they can repress Photosynthesis through a variety of means so that it never fulfils its Photosynthetic potential e.g. when Forests are replaced by crops, pastureland, Tree plantations, lawns, etc. Admittedly, oomans are never likely to be powerful enough to destroy all Photosynthesis on Earth. But, they could devastate and repress Photosynthesis severely enough to trigger off a runaway global burning disaster that will lead to the destruction of all Photosynthesis on Earth - and eventually all life on Earth. It is not too late to stop biped terrorism and to regenerate the Earth's life support system but the chances of the bipeds doing so is negligible.

This is the basic argument of the mundi club's latest publication 'The Destruction of the Earth’s Photosynthetic Capacity - The Earth’s Life Support System' Special Publications no6 Third edition. It can be read at http://www.geocities.com/carbonomics/MCsppub/11sp06/11sp06a_f.html