Photosynthesis: A Life-Sustaining Process Threatened by Climate Change

Photosynthesis not only sustains life as we know it on Earth but also helps regulate and control extreme climate patterns resulting from greenhouse gas emissions, thanks to plants’ remarkable ability to absorb carbon dioxide. Unfortunately, climate change has led to an increased warming of the Earth, posing a severe threat to plants and forested areas. Rising temperatures have limited the efficiency of the photosynthesis process in plants. This finding was published in the journal Nature in August 2023 by scientists from the United States, Australia, and Brazil. Such a catastrophic escalation in warming conditions, experienced by tropical ecosystems worldwide, has the potential to lead to a critical temperature threshold — approximately 46.7 degrees Celsius on average— resulting in the devastating failure of photosynthesis! Ecosystem Scientist Professor Yadvinder Malhi of Oxford University reports this alarming news: “Breaching the thresholds for thermal viability of the tropical forest biomes, home to most of the planet’s biodiversity, could be considered a major tipping point for the Earth’s biosphere ….” Dr. Roger Highfield authored an important study published on August 23, 2023, stating that ‘Tropical forests represent around 12 percent of the Earth’s land surface and previous research has shown that trees are already dying at an accelerated rate in the Amazon…”

Over the years, various scientific reports have consistently identified the raising of animal-people livestock as a primary driver of climate change. Studies conducted in 2002 by scientists from Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley reaffirm that ongoing greenhouse gas emissions from the animal-people livestock industry contribute significantly to global warming. Our Most Beloved Supreme Master Ching Hai (vegan) has often spoken about how the animal-people livestock industry is the leading cause of climate change and that the only solution is a global transition to the vegan lifestyle. “The methane pollution came from livestock raising, so if we stop that, no more heating! Because if we stop livestock raising, that means a stop also to forest clearance – it’s because most of the forest clearance is for planting stuff for animal-people. Carbon removal is also good and acts fairly quickly, but being veg is something that every single person in the world can do and immediately.”