In Drought-Stricken Southwest,
A War Against an Invasive Tree

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Thank you for this article about the eradication of Tamarisk, one of many similar projects. What these projects have in common is that they are usually futile and wasteful of scarce resources that are needed for more important purposes such as education. But most importantly they are usually doing a great deal of harm by using toxic herbicides, polluting the air with prescribed burns, introducing insects that are potentially a worse problem. Please visit the Million Trees blog for a comparable project in California, the pointless eradication of marsh grass that is native to the East and Gulf Coasts:

http://milliontrees.wordpress.com/2011/11/08/nativism-is-shooting-us-in-the-foot/



This seems like yet another knee jerk reaction to climate change. Tamarisk is adaptable to temperature changes but sucks up groundwater, In a drought condition, tamarisk will choke out the natives. If you take a native like mesquite, it can adapt to very hot temps and thrives in Death Valley at 130 F. Native plants can also adapt. There is no reason to put your head in the sand and promote ecological meltdowns because you are petrified of climate change.

Climate change has made some environmentalists say some pretty foolish things. Now they all like tamarisk in the US southwest? We need to stop writing off the rest of the planet to save the climate. Climate change is an important problem, but don't let it make you say goofy things...



I am in total agreement with million trees.

I don't think that asking for rationality re the invasive species issue promotes ecological meltdowns.

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