Environmental scientists have revealed shocking news that parts of Amazon rainforest are emitting more carbon dioxide than they are absorbing. scientists said the forest is now producing over billion tons of CO2 year. They say Amazon used to be carbon "sink". This is where CO2 was sucked up and converted into oxygen. However, it has now become source of carbon dioxide. The forest is at risk of losing its moniker of being lungs of the world. Researchers are predicting the rainforest will create more CO2 at accelerating rate in the future. The biggest culprits for the Amazon's flipping from sink to source are logging, deforestation and growing number of forest fires.
The research on the Amazon's CO2 emissions has been published in journal "Nature". Researchers analysed 600 profiles of CO2 and carbon monoxide emissions produced by fires at various sites in Brazil's Amazon between 2010 and 2018. They found that fires produced about 1.5 billion tons of CO2 year, while forest growth removed just 0.5 billion tons. researchers said difference of one billion tons left in atmosphere is equivalent to annual emissions of Japan, which is world's fifth-largest polluter. Professor Simon Lewis, from University College London, said: "The south-east Amazon sink-to-source story is yet another stark warning that climate impacts are accelerating."
