The fires in the Amazon Rainforest have been going on for some time now and climate change nuts are worried to death that the planet is going to lose all of its oxygen.
One of the popular claims is that the Amazon Rainforest is the lungs of the earth and accounts for about 20% of the entire planet’s oxygen supply.
That’s not what the scientists are saying.
Interesting Engineering wrote,
According to the National Institute for Space Research, so far this year there have been 80,000 fires, an unprecedented 80% jump compared to the number of fires that occurred last year within the same time period. Yet, these are things you might know already.
Nevertheless, there is one fact out there about the Amazon that is wrong and that needs to be cleared up. So, no, the Amazon rainforest does not produce 20% of the planet’s oxygen.
Now the Amazon does, in fact, regulate part of the Earth’s carbon cycle, water cycle, and climate too. However, this “20% of oxygen” idea that a few media outlets are sharing and politicians are quoting is simply not true. So, no you do not have to start holding your breath every so often to ensure that your neighbors get the right amount of oxygen.
The 20% figure IS too high. True number closer to 6% as per Jon Foley (@GlobalEcoGuy) and even this is misleading because oxygen levels wouldn't actually drop by 6% if we deforested the Amazon. See the longer thread on this w/ @GlobalEcoGuy, @climatedynamics, me & others… https://t.co/bz8eWPHDhC
— Prof Michael E. Mann (@MichaelEMann) August 23, 2019
Dr. Jonathan Foley tweeted as well,
Also, the forests are being replaced by pastures and croplands, which also do photosynthesis and produce similar amounts of oxygen.
Despite the widespread claim, the Amazon doesn’t produce 20% of the world’s oxygen. It’s more like ~6%
https://twitter.com/GlobalEcoGuy/status/1164732077977169921
So, in real life, things are going great. Fires are a frequent thing in the Amazon
Overall though, in the past 16 years, there has been a 25% decrease in the burned area as a result of fires globally.
The reason for this is because of economic growth. And new tree growth has been outpacing deforestation. That means that more trees are growing each year than are being cut down…for the past 35 years!
How much is it though?
Well, the total area that has increased in tree growth is equal to about the size of Texas and Alaska combined!
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