Part of the Amazon is emitting more carbon dioxide than it absorbs — and it's a "really big warning" for the planet
CBSN
The Amazon rainforest has played a critical role in the fight against climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere. But a study published in Nature on Wednesday found that humans are threatening its ability to do so — which could have devastating consequences for the planet.
The Amazon basin is roughly 80% to 90% of the size of the continental U.S. and contains 2.8 million square miles of jungle, which is more than half of Earth's remaining tropical rainforests, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which helped support the research. The region stores roughly 123 billion tons of carbon in trees and in the soil. "Roughly half of the CO2 that we've emitted from fossil fuels has been absorbed by either the oceans or the land — and that's roughly a 50-50 split," John Miller, one of the study's lead authors, told CBS News. "So there's this huge climate mitigation service that we're getting for free, and global warming would be much worse if trees were not taking this up."Berlin — A recent survey conducted for a sports program that airs on a regional public broadcaster in Germany revealed that one in five Germans (21% of respondents) would prefer to see more White players on the German national soccer team. The survey conducted for Western Germany's WDR network's "Sport Inside" show has drawn sharp criticism, with the national team's coach Julian Nagelsmann among those expressing shock.
Just hours after NASA was forced to scrap the Florida launch of the Boeing Starliner for the second time, a Chinese spacecraft landed on the far side of the moon Sunday to collect soil and rock samples that could provide insights into differences between the less-explored region and the better-known near side.