Weeds are growing faster and stronger due to increased CO2 levels and global temperatures.  You might think this is the one global warming issue that doesn’t affect you beyond your front lawn, but millions of acres of grassland in North America are losing the native plants that livestock prefer, and kudzu is moving up from Florida and may be in Michigan before too long.  Tom Christopher writes in the New York Times Magazine about how much better life will be for weeds with global warming — and how much worse for us.  But there are solutions if citizens and governments are ready to commit to projects like "replanting the prairie . . . [which] would require as much effort as the 19th-century pioneers gave to taming the prairie habitat."  Hardy weed species may lead to food grains that can survive higher temperatures.  And kudzu roots are "50 percent starch by weight" making them potentially "ideal for ethanol production."  So if you want a chicken in every pot, get ready for a weed whacker in every garage. -NH

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