Recently, an increasing number of scientists have been discussing the climate crisis and its repercussions for the planet. The world has already experienced unprecedented heatwaves and droughts, but researchers believe this may just be the beginning, as reported by Science Alert.
In 2023, scientists recorded record carbon emissions and now consider them a sign that the planet's carbon absorption systems are failing. The rise in carbon dioxide emissions last year coincided with record heat, leading an international group of researchers to conclude that high temperatures are likely having a significantly negative impact on the ability of terrestrial ecosystems to absorb carbon.
Previous studies indicated that oceanic and terrestrial processes previously absorbed about half of all anthropogenic carbon emissions. Researchers are concerned that the potential for such a drastic reduction in carbon absorption capacity is a serious cause for alarm.
According to Johan Rockström, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, nature has so far balanced our excesses, but that seems to be coming to an end. The main issue is that current climate models do not account for the collapse of carbon sinks — which may explain why global warming is occurring faster than anticipated.
Earlier, scientists speculated that this could be linked to calibration errors, a reduction in heat-reflecting aerosols due to changes in shipping regulations, or other factors. Now they have a new theory: Tsinghua University ecologist Pü Ke believes that terrestrial carbon sinks have simply stopped functioning, at least temporarily, in 2023.
They found that while CO2 emissions increased by only 0.6 percent from the previous year, the rise detected in the atmosphere above the Mauna Loa station was an astounding 86% compared to 2022. Unfortunately, other studies also indicate that the ocean's ability to absorb carbon is likewise in question.
The team believes these findings are alarming, as surface temperatures rise, with the Amazon rainforest, which has suffered from droughts and fires for years, contributing the most to annual global land carbon absorption. If droughts and wildfires driven by climate change are primarily responsible for the loss of terrestrial carbon sinks, the issue might be temporary. However, scientists predict that much of the damage done is likely to be long-lasting.
The team also discovered that only the Congo Basin has produced less carbon than it has absorbed in recent years. As efforts to find technological solutions continue, the natural ability of the Earth to absorb carbon remains the planet's only hope for survival.