Fires, Heat, Drought Weaken Amazon Carbon Sink — SkimNews
Get the Energy newsletter
Daily energy & climate — solar, EVs, oil, the policy fights and tech bets shaping the transition. Free.
- Ozone pollution from fires, combined with extreme heat and drought, is further weakening the Amazon rainforest's ability to absorb carbon dioxide, according to new research.
- The Amazon and other tropical forests absorb more than a quarter of human-caused CO2 emissions each year — more than 11 billion metric tons — underscoring the scale of what compounding climate stress could erode.
Why it matters: If the Amazon's carbon sink is being further degraded by compounding ozone, heat, and drought stressors, the global carbon budget loses a buffer that currently absorbs over 11 billion metric tons of CO2 annually. That makes every ton of new emissions harder to offset and shifts more warming pressure onto the atmosphere.
Ask SkimNews
