---
title: ""Four years ago, I came across an online video of a lecture given by…"
date: 2018-03-24
source: facebook
type: Archer T. Ships shared a link.
---

# "Four years ago, I came across an online video of a lecture given by…

*March 24, 2018 · Facebook*

::::: {}
::: {}
[https://www.spectator.co.uk/2016/10/the-world-is-getting-greener-why-does-no-one-want-to-know/](https://www.spectator.co.uk/2016/10/the-world-is-getting-greener-why-does-no-one-want-to-know/){target="_blank"}
:::

::: {}
\"Four years ago, I came across an online video of a lecture given by Ranga Myneni of Boston University in which he presented an ingenious analysis of data from satellites. This proved that much of the vegetated area of the planet was getting greener, and only a little bit was getting browner. In fact, overall in 30 years, the green vegetation on planet Earth had increased by a rather extraordinary 14 per cent. He said this was occurring in all vegetation types --- from tropical rainforests to arctic tundra.\
\
What was responsible for this ecological good news? He credited rising carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere for half of the greening --- rather than, say, the application of agricultural fertiliser, warmer temperatures or increased rainfall.\
\
Myneni's results were eventually published six months ago\...\[and\] were now even stronger than he had concluded in his original lecture. Now he said that almost three quarters of the cause of greening was carbon dioxide --- up from half. As the paper's lead author, Zaichun Zhu, of Beijing University, puts it, it's the equivalent of adding a green continent twice the size of mainland USA.\"
:::
:::::