The Earth is now greener than it was two decades ago, according to the
satellites of US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Data
from NASA satellites revealed that China and India are the leading countries
in terms of increased greening on lands. This is attributed to the ambitious
[www.isaaa.org] tree
planting programs in China and intensive agricultural planting in both
countries.

The greening phenomenon was first observed in the mid-1990s by Ranga Myneni
of Boston University and colleagues, but they had to confirm if it was
caused by human activities. To collect more information, about 20 years of
data were gathered by two NASA satellites orbiting the Earth using Moderate
Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) which provides high-resolution
data and very accurate information, helping researchers to record what
happens on the Earth's vegetation, down to the level of 500 meters, or about
1,600 feet, on the ground.

"Taken all together, the greening of the planet over the last two decades
represents an increase in leaf area on plants and trees equivalent to the
area covered by all the Amazon rainforests. There are now more than two
million square miles of extra green leaf area per year, compared to the
early 2000s - a 5% increase," NASA reported.

[www.nasa.gov]
s-the-greening-of-earth-nasa-study-shows