At this point, after all we've been through, the idea of a global carbon budget seems to me like a joke. And not a funny one.

But even if you still believe for some reason that we can comfortably continue with Business As Usual a while longer, here’s something else to consider…
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Wildfires are burning through the carbon budget that humans have allocated themselves to limit global heating, a study shows.

Forests are going up in smoke in Brazil, the US, Greece, Portugal, and even the Arctic Circle amid Earth’s two hottest years in recorded history.

Each fire has a double impact on the global climate: first, by emitting carbon from the burned trees, and second, by reducing the capacity of forests to absorb carbon dioxide.

This adds to the heat in the Earth system, which has already been raised by the burning of gas, oil, and coal. As temperatures rise, droughts become more frequent, rainy seasons shorten, and forests become more vulnerable to fire.

“Fires are reducing the ability of forests and other ecosystems to store carbon, narrowing our window to keep global warming in check,” said Dr Chantelle Burton, the study’s lead author.

Climatologists say the already dire situation will deteriorate until humankind, particularly in the wealthy global north, stops burning fossil fuels.
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FULL STORY -- https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/03/wildfires-are-burning-through-humanitys-carbon-budget-study-shows

#Science #Environment #Climate #ClimateChange