Here’s one for you: The University of Vermont will receive a $45,000 Department of Agriculture grant to study the effects of global warming on autumn leaf color! You think I make this stuff up?
I’m not a scientist, but how the heck do you measure this? Most things I’ve read still indicate that scientists are not 100% sure about which affects of temperature (day and nighttime), humidity, rainfall, cloud cover, pollutants, stress and even insects have on the process of a green leaf turning red or gold anyway. If you take these causes singularly and then multiply the various potential combinations, you’ve probably got a thousand variables. But somehow, (and I guarantee this), the result will be that global warming is muting our fall colors! No doubt about it. (Hey it’s Vermont after all)
Don’t we all recall that there are certain years when colors are more vivid than others? In fact, every year is a little different. But color hue and brightness are all subjective things anyway.
So here you’ve got an outcome with a thousand variables, on a subjective value that can’t really be measured, and on something we can’t control anyway! Great way to burn 45 grand, but then again, how else do you finance something called the “Proctor Maple Research Center”? I mean, money doesn’t grow on trees….or does it?
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