This is not good.
Forests are one of our biggest, best carbon sinks. Deforestation is damaging that, yes, but that can be prevented, slowed down, or at least ameliorated by planting new trees in place of ones that are cut down. But this new study shows that 2.5 degrees Celsius of warming -- meaning droughts, pest invasions, and other such secondary effects that are bad for trees -- could seriously damage the ability of forests to absorb and sequester carbon.
Add this to other positive feedback loops -- effects of increased water vapor in the air, loss of reflective surfaces as ice melts, reduced ocean absorption, and Arctic methane release, just to name a few -- and we're looking at a problem that could turn into an avalanche before we even have time to react.
And considering that reducing greenhouse gas emissions does not have an immediate effect... carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases do not instantaneously vanish from the atmosphere just because we built a wind farm or reduced emissions from a power plant... How much time do we actually have?
I'm curious about the net change, assuming, as the article forecasts, some increase in forestation in the northern latitudes. Presumably not enough to offset losses.
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