GoKawiilAmazon Rainforest Now Emits More Carbon Than It Absorbs, Study Finds
Research shows the Amazon rainforest has shifted from being a net absorber of carbon dioxide to a net emitter, largely due to human-driven deforestation and land degradation. The region, historically credited with storing billions of tons of CO2, is now releasing more carbon than it captures.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
This reversal suggests one of the planet's key natural carbon sinks may now be accelerating climate change rather than mitigating it, which could undermine global efforts to offset greenhouse gas emissions. Scientists and policymakers may need to reassess climate models and conservation strategies that have long relied on the Amazon's carbon-absorbing capacity.
- The Amazon rainforest is now releasing more carbon dioxide than it stores.
- Deforestation and human land use are cited as key drivers of this shift.
- The change challenges assumptions about the Amazon's role as a global carbon sink.
Source: fastcompany.com, 2026-10-29
Published there as: “The Amazon rainforest, long known as the ‘lungs of our planet,’ now releases more carbon than it absorbs”
Read the original report → The summary and analysis above are GoKawiil's own, written from reporting by the source above. Facts and quotes belong to the original publisher.