[MCN] I have pdf : Humans as an indicator species : 70, 000 human deaths in 2003 heat wave were matched by marked environmental change

[Lance Olsen]

Definitions vary, but an indicator species is often defined as one that indicates the status of the broader environment

 <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_European_heat_wave>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2003 European heat wave - Wikipedia <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_European_heat_wave>
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › 2003_European_heat_wave <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_European_heat_wave>
The 2003 European heat wave led to the hottest summer on record in Europe since at least ... Peer-reviewed analysis places the European [ human ] death toll at more than 70,000.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I have pdf of the Nature article ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NATURE September 22, 2005
Europe-wide reduction in primary productivity caused by the heat and drought in 2003

Ph. Ciais et al


Abstract

Future climate warming is expected to enhance plant growth in temperate ecosystems and to increase carbon sequestration1,2. But although severe regional heatwaves may become more frequent in a changing climate3,4, their impact on terrestrial carbon cycling is unclear. Here we report measurements of ecosystem carbon dioxide fluxes, remotely sensed radiation absorbed by plants, and country-level crop yields taken during the European heatwave in 2003. We use a terrestrial biosphere simulation model5 to assess continental-scale changes in primary productivity during 2003, and their consequences for the net carbon balance. We estimate a 30 per cent reduction in gross primary productivity over Europe, which resulted in a strong anomalous net source of carbon dioxide (0.5 Pg C yr21) to the atmosphere and reversed the effect of four years of net ecosystem carbon sequestration6. Our results suggest that productivity reduction in eastern and western Europe can be explained by rainfall deficit and extreme summer heat, respectively. We also find that ecosystem respiration decreased together with gross primary productivity, rather than accelerating with the temperature rise. Model results, corroborated by historical records of crop yields, suggest that such a reduction in Europe’s primary productivity is unprecedented during the last century. An increase in future drought events could turn temperate ecosystems into carbon sources, contributing to positive carbon-climate feed- backs already anticipated in the tropics and at high latitudes1,2. 




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“Once confined to the margins, the ecological critique of economic growth has gained widespread attention. At a United Nations climate-change summit in September, the teen-age Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg declared, ‘We are in the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!’ ” 

<<https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/02/10/can-we-have-prosperity-without-growth <https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/02/10/can-we-have-prosperity-without-growth>>>

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