Drunken Trees: Dramatic Signs of Climate Change

11/6/2014

Gianna Fazio

11/10/2014 03:26:49 am

I would have never thought that "drunken trees" weren't simply natural products of our environment. It is almost unbelievable that beautiful Alaskan ponds and picturesque sideways foliage is actually a result of global warming- of us. And it is very scary to think that on top of deforestation- of us removing trees from the natural cycle- they are beginning to fall on their own in mass numbers due to the melting of the ground. Global warming is showing its effects everywhere, not just in the rainforests or in the extent of our ozone layer

Corinne Caminske

11/12/2014 03:52:20 am

It totally agree that climate change is popping up all over the world. I can't believe that were are still traveling down the chaotic path for our planet. As if the damage to out ozone wasn't enough, now we have to solve the problem of replenishing trees. It is true that this is overall adding to deforestation and increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. To me, the time for education has past and it's time to stop climate change while we can.

Joseph Mullen

11/12/2014 12:51:16 am

It is scary to see the effects of global warming at this stage in time. Predictions on the effects of global warming show that things will get a lot worse then they are now, and already we are seeing serious damage to the enviroment. The effects on the Alaskan permafrost alone is enough to make me worried for our worlds future.

Lucas Brennan

11/13/2014 04:05:54 am

I absolutely agree with you Joe, this article's information alone was enough to make me very apprehensive of the future. Things like these make me wonder about how much the environment will change, for the worse, further for future generations. We really need to take these sort of things into account if we want to make a difference for the future of this planet.

Corinne Caminske

11/12/2014 03:48:37 am

The drunken trees show us that climate change isn't just affecting Sayville and our little bubble of the world. Climate change is all over the world, which is completely horrible. One of the most terrifying parts of climate change is how little people seem to care until it affects them, which is very cynical of us. For example, I bet the people around the drunken trees thought they were just a laughable oddity, until it started affecting their homes. People need to act before the next drunken trees or polar ice melting occurs. The sad part is, people in Sayville won't truly rally behind climate change until we see major affects of it here.

Julie Marro

11/12/2014 09:51:23 am

I agree that people usually do not act if they are not directly affected and this is why we are facing such a severe problem. It is crazy how hard it is to get people to act about something so pressing just because their lives have not been impacted by it. We need to start taking into consideration the environment as a whole.

William Fridrich

11/13/2014 06:54:52 am

It's scary how true that is.. Climate change isn't just a possibility in the future anymore. At this point, it's guaranteed. If we wait until there are significant effects here, it will be far too late, and at that point changing won't get us anywhere. Change needs to happen now. They say that people learn from mistakes, and that if we learn from those mistakes we won't let them happen again. Well... this is one mistake that we can't afford to make.

Julie Marro

11/12/2014 09:48:01 am

Some effects of global warming are so surprising, and they are the scariest ones. We don't think about these things happening because of our actions, but they do and it is just another reason we need to make a change in the way we live. It is not just the melting of ice caps that is a problem, but its the melting of permafrost as well. It is unfortunate that so many of the effects are being seen in the Arctic where not many people live, which makes it easy for people living in temperate climates like us to avoid taking responsibility.

Emma Philbin

11/12/2014 11:21:52 pm

I completely agree that the surprising effects of global warming are the scariest ones. Something as ridiculous as "drunken trees" is really concerning. Trees aren't strong enough to stand on their own and end up collapsing is really terrifying. If trees loose the ability to survive, so does the Earth in a nutshell.

Emma Philbin

11/12/2014 11:19:33 pm

As humans, we don't really think about how our actions can have huge detrimental effects, we only care about the reward now. And that is just like global warming. We don't really think about it too much. We believe that the effects are too far in the future to effect us, our grandchildren's generation will just have to deal with it. But that's just the thing, our grandparents said that about us and now we are starting to see the repercussions of our immense fossil fuel burning and lack of care to our environment. The drunken trees are just one example of it. with over 7-8% of land sharing drunken trees or other melting related impacts its scary. That number is only going to grow if we continue being ignorant. It's ridiculous to think about trees drowning, but its a legitimate event happening. Sea levels are rising, and the trees are dying.

Kaitlyn Gibbons

11/13/2014 12:06:53 am

I agree Emma, its frightening to think that we do not know what our actions will cause in the future. We should be more cautious for our grandchildren's futures. We need to stop being ignorant and accept and try to fix the consequences of our actions.

Alyssa Lofaro

11/13/2014 12:58:59 am

Your absolutely right Emma, everybody always talks about how our grandchildren will see the effects of our generation, but what about our generation seeing the effects of our grandparents. I had never heard of "dunked trees" before and that's one prime example of the repercussions coming from our grandparents generation. It's a little scary to think about what our grandchildren will be facing in the future from our generation.

Kaitlyn Gibbons

11/12/2014 11:22:22 pm

I was unaware of the "drunken trees" before reading this article. It is scary to think that humans are the cause of climate change. I found it interesting and ironic that some people had to move their homes because of the melting of permafrost. For once we are facing consequences of our actions instead of the environment only.

Alyssa Lofaro

11/13/2014 01:06:53 am

I had never heard of "drunken trees" before reading this article, but after seeing pictures of what these trees look like, I can't help but notice that I've seen them before. If the permafrost continues to melt at the rapid speed it's already melting at, we are going to be in trouble. One effect will be more "drunken trees" around, but also when the permafros melts it releases methane, and with to much methane in the atmosphere It could imitate a positive feedback loop, resulting in an increased rate of global warming.

Tara Litvin

11/16/2014 06:59:14 am

You make a good point. If the permafrost does continue to melt, more methane will be released, speeding up global warming, inevitably causing more drunken trees and other problems like extinction.

Lucas Brennan

11/13/2014 04:01:06 am

The title itself drew me into this interesting article. I had no knowledge of these trees existance before i read this. It shocks me that even after more and more evidence of climate change being prevalent there will still be politicians that tell you it is a hoax or that it does not exist. The fact that climate channge is causing a melting of permafrost is something way more serious than I could have imagined before reading this article. I thought that this article was both eye opening and also informative.

Nicholas Cowan

11/13/2014 10:53:01 am

I agree that the title itself was a draw to read further. I think that climate change has become something uninteresting to the public. It's all too scientific. However, I think that the best way for climate change to be addressed would be through public interest and constnt information. For example, the government should mandate that the media display a certain number of information commercials on all different topics, like climate change or poverty, to inform the public and force everyone to accepting that it exists and needs a change now.

Evan D'Agostino

11/18/2014 11:59:28 am

I totally agree with you in that we need to get the politician heads out of the clouds and get them to start realizing that this problem will not only affect future generations but will affect ours right now if we don't change.

Eileen Keenan

11/13/2014 06:26:20 am

As other people have said, I didn't know that the "drunken trees" had a specific name. I only though it was a natural occurance, trees die , they fall, and more grow.But learning they are falling from permafrost is crazy. Finding out that these tress are affecting the way people live is crazy. As the planet gets hotter and permafrost increases I can only imagine what the world we live in is going to be like in the future.

William Fridrich

11/13/2014 06:51:11 am

To be completely honest, if I had ever seen these leaning trees I would have thought that they were some sort of amazing "work of nature" or something along those lines. It's actually quite off-putting to think that trees are leaning in this way due to human action. Not just any human action, but one that has been, and continues to add to its list of dangerous changes for the future: climate change. This is just one example of the many warnings that nature has given us about our actions, and yet... nothing changes. We try; we make laws; we recycle; and yet, even if we were to completely cut off fossil fuel usage tomorrow, there is still guaranteed to be a raise in global temperature of at least two degrees. Is it too late?

Nicholas Cowan

11/13/2014 10:45:12 am

The part of this article that affected me most was the fact that engineers are spending millions of dollars to build insulation to prevent the melting and reduce effects on human structures. This is only a temporary solution! Why can't we invest money into preventing the issues in the first place? I mean, look at the amount of money that goes to rebuilding beaches after a storm compared to how much money goes into preventing climate change that causes such storms in the first place. Einstein once stated that intellects solve problems but geniuses prevent them. We can't just keep dealing with the drunken trees. We need to attack the issue at its source.

Joseph Mullen

11/14/2014 12:47:11 am

Nick you are correct that this is essentially a band aid on something that needs surgery. We should not be trying to push the issue off into the future, we should be putting more of a focus on something that will fix the root of the problem.

Gianna Fazio

11/16/2014 01:39:53 am

I completely agree with you Nick. So long as we don't attack the problem from its source, it will keep occurring and getting worse. So where is our money going? Reconstruction, reconstruction, reconstruction.....etc. this cycle will never end until we finally decide to take that extra step and fix the source.

Ryan O'Donnell

11/13/2014 11:58:01 pm

Climate change is causing nature to change. The "drunken trees" are pure evidence of climate change is happening everywhere in the world. Climate change is something that needs the attention if everyone. More and more signs are coming out that it is prevelant and to prevent further damage we need to first know about it.

Anthony Pacia

11/16/2014 03:48:39 am

I agree that climate change needs everyone's attention. If we want change, we all have to do our part in making it happen otherwise it will just be ignored until it is too late to act.

Emma Schrader

11/14/2014 12:50:04 am

I think that this article about "drunken tress" really sheds light on the effects of climate change and how the rising temperatures effects our environment. As the temperature is rising the permafrost is disappearing which causes the soils to collapse and the trees to tilt. The climate change is not only effecting the trees but also the landscape which causes some animals to move from their habitats. The "drunken trees" are just a small change that is the beginning of a major change in our environment.

Anthony Pacia

11/16/2014 03:44:57 am

The "drunken trees" is just one of many examples of the impact we are having on the environment. We are changing ecosystems around the world which is triggering a mass extinction which will have devastating effects on us. If this continues, we will have to adapt to these changes or we will end up like the dinosaurs or the mammoths.

Ryan Fargione

11/16/2014 05:17:29 am

its always interesting to hear about these strange little things happening because of changes in climate. Everyone always talk about big happenings of climate change so it was shocking and refreshing to learn about the drunken trees. It's really awful that our actions are disturbing and harming these trees.

Tara Litvin link

11/16/2014 07:08:47 am

I have never heard of drunken trees before reading this article, and I frankly wasn't expecting this to be what the article was about. The melting of permafrost, due to global warming (caused by us), is causing these trees to grow lopsided, as opposed to healthy strong straight trees, Were going to be seeing more drunken trees, and destroyed habitats, if global warming continues the way it is.

Kyle Wilson

11/16/2014 12:12:54 pm

I found this article to bd ver interesting because I had never heard of drunken trees before. Drunken trees are another obvious sign of the effects of global warming and it is becoming increasingly clear that things need to change if we want to save the environment. Trees provide us with oxygen so we should be working to keep them as healthy as possible.

Robert Boos

11/17/2014 12:46:13 am

I agree with Kyle. We need to change if we are going to save our environment. If we continue down this path who knows what kind of drugs trees will be using in the future!

Ryan Rattazzi

1/4/2015 10:40:58 pm

Bob is right, if we continue down this path of killing our environment, trees could move past the gateway drugs onto a more dangerous life involving hard drugs

Mrs. Anderson

1/23/2015 01:31:13 am

You guys are so right! Why arn't we focusing on support groups for these trees??

Robert Boos

11/17/2014 12:44:58 am

This is my first time hearing of this "drunken tree" phenomena. Its amazing how far reaching our effects can reach. This article really opens up my eyes to some of the deep unnoticed consequences our actions can have.

Olivia Kaczmarek

11/17/2014 08:46:49 am

It's very upsetting to know our actions are ruining the world, and we aren't the ones bearing the consequences -yet. Its just a matter of time until we are seeing changes such as the tilted trees right here on Long Island. With the amount of evidence of climate change out there its really crazy that everyone isn't doing their part to prevent further distruction and possibly reversing the effects we are seeing now.

Brian Sputh

11/18/2014 01:04:19 am

I agree with you Liv. We need to prevent the effects that the climate has on the trees and must take actions to stop it. We all need to change what we are doing to the environment to prevent irreversible effects on the environment.

Brian Sputh

11/18/2014 01:02:19 am

The "drunken trees" should be a sign to people of how our actions are affecting the environment. Seeing how the trees are distorted and bending should be an eye opening to tell people to try to help the environment. The drunken trees are acting as an indicator for our environmental action and needs to be fixed.

Alyssa Ruml

1/22/2015 09:54:05 am

I agree completely, if we don't do something about this soon in the future there will be extremely negative consequences.

Isha Khawaja

11/18/2014 10:26:24 am

It's crazy to see the "drunken trees" fall and the permafrost melt right in front of us as we continue to destroy the planet. I find beneficial part of this that the article didn't state is that if more people are exposed to what is going on in Alaska, they will consider climate change as a higher priority. People in Alaska are taking global warming as a serious threat now because there is a possibility that there homes may sink. If only people around the world looked at Alaska as an example, we may be able to limit the growth of global warming.

Sarah Walsh

12/16/2014 03:51:44 am

I agree. However, I think it's really unfortunate that it takes such striking visual evidence to get people to take the threat seriously. Perhaps if the media placed more consistent focus on problems like this we could be impacted by it before it spreads to have a more direct everyday effect on us. People need to see that climate change isn't an eventuality- it is a reality.

Evan D'Agostino

11/18/2014 11:46:51 am

The fact that people around the world can look at what is happening to the planet and still not understand that global warming is real and is affecting us RIGHT NOW is mind boggling. The "drunken trees" are only the beginning of what is to come if we don't start changing way the world works.

Hannah Schrader

1/7/2015 02:09:09 am

I agree, I still don't understand how there is not a huge movement on global change that will actually make a change. It is such a big problem in our world but yet I feel so many people ignore all of the signs that something needs to be done.

Rebekah Fitzpatrick

11/19/2014 06:28:13 am

Personally, I cannot fathom the idea that anyone can actually believe that climate change is not a consequence based upon human actions. Never have I been more astounded at the reality of climate change. To consider the fact that the permafrost of the earth's polar climates is literally melting and causienormous trees' rooting systems to weaken

Rebekah Fitzpatrick

11/19/2014 06:39:08 am

* causing old and enormous trees' rooting systems to weaken, is frightening. The dramatic effects that this phenomenon can have on the environment will not only effect the tundras and their ecosystems, but the entire planet can be affected as well. As the perafrost melt, harmful greenhouse gasses such as methane will be released into the atmosphere, only adding to the problem that caused them to be released.

Sarah Walsh

12/16/2014 03:49:17 am

The tragic irony in all of this, in my eyes, is that many of those feeling global warnings impact most directly and obviously are not those who bare the largest amount of responsibility for this condition. But global climate change does not discriminate-it impacts the world as a whole, not merely the worst culprits. This is something very dangerous, as the countries and individuals with the worst habits are not as acutely aware of climate change, do not see it in there everyday life the way those in the coldest places do. It's easier to turn a blind eye when you aren't surrounded by reminders like "drunken trees" constantly.

Ryan Rattazzi

1/4/2015 10:42:29 pm

This article is just like others, in showing that if the way we live is not changed to better suit protecting our environment, there is no way that the world we know today can be sustained for the future. Trees along with many different species will be on their way out.

Hannah Schrader

1/7/2015 02:06:56 am

It's crazy to think that just from permafrost melting there are so many negative outcomes . It's not only hurting the environment and the species who inhabit it , but it also says that people had to leave their houses because it is not safe anymore. What will happen if it gets even worse.

Alyssa Ruml

1/22/2015 09:51:22 am

We are to blame for the drunken trees. Something as simple as permafrost has had such a huge impact on the environment. Trees are basically becoming deformed from us not caring enough about the environment. This should've easily become an eye-opener for people to care more and try to treat the Earth better, but clearly we don't.

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Drunken Trees: Dramatic Signs of Climate Change

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