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Carbon sink

Smoke rises from a processing mill at a palm oil plantation in Sumatra, Indonesia

The world’s tropical forests can help us limit climate change — if we let them

Climate Change

Tropical forests are a treasure trove of biodiversity and contain vast stores of carbon that, if released through deforestation, threaten the stability of Earth’s climate system.

Image of an illegally deforested area on Pirititi Indigenous lands.

The Amazon rainforest is likely adding to global warming, says a new study

Climate Change
Two trees are covered in instruments strapped to their bases

The Amazon used to be a hedge against climate change. Those days may be over.

The Amazon's carbon tipping point
Tropical forest Indonesia

Tropical forests are becoming net carbon producers, instead of carbon sinks

Environment
Inga 1 dam

Congo pushes for a mega-dam project, with no environmental impact studies

Environment

Vines use climate change to catch a ride on the trees

Environment

As carbon dioxide levels rise, tropical plants will benefit. Woody vines, in particular, will get a growth boost, but it comes at the expense of the very trees they grow on.

The World

Otters As Climate Defenders

Sea Otters are known for their playful demeanor and cuddly appearance, but scientists at the University of California at Santa Cruz think that the cuddly creatures could help reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere.

Disputed art disappears from University of Wyoming campus

Arts, Culture & Media

Last year, British artist Chris Drury installed a controversial sculpture on the University of Wyoming’s campus. The 36-foot-diameter vortex of logs killed by pine beetles atop a bed of Wyoming coal was a representation of the state’s energy sector and the damage wrought by climate change. It didn’t last a year.

The World

Otters and Climate Change

Sea Otters are known for their playful demeanor and cuddly appearance, but scientists at the University of California at Santa Cruz think that the cuddly creatures could help reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere.

Amazon Forest as a Source of Carbon Dioxide

In 2005 the Amazon experienced a “once in a century” drought. Just 5 years later, the 2010 drought was even worse. New research shows that such droughts can cause the Amazon to be a source of carbon dioxide instead of a sink.