Grass Backwards

Carbon dioxide contributing to un-grassing of grassland, says new study

Thanks in part to rising levels of carbon dioxide, the world's grasslands are turning into woody shrublands, says a new study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. When researchers artificially doubled CO2 levels over sections of the Colorado plains, they observed a fortyfold increase in the growth of fringed sage, which takes over the prairie flora that serves a crucial purpose as a livestock buffet. Grasslands, which are also in danger from overgrazing and wildfire suppression, cover 40 percent of the earth's land surface; some projections hold that current CO2 levels could double by 2100. Oh, and CO2 also ate your last donut and made out with your boyfriend. It's eeeevil.