You are currently browsing the Green Saving Expert blog weblog archives for the day 04/02/2011.
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- 09/03/2011: Polar ice loss quickens, raising seas
- 04/02/2011: Amazon drought worries scientists
- 24/01/2011: 2010 warmest / second warmest on record
- 15/01/2011: 2010 ties 2005 for warmest year on record
- 21/12/2010: Photos showing past and present
- 28/11/2010: Greenhouse gases reach record levels in 2009 - WMO
- 27/11/2010: 2010 to be hottest year on record?
- 25/11/2010: Solar PV Calculator
- 25/11/2010: Carbon emissions - latest news
- 20/08/2010: Simple energy saving measures at home could cut more CO2 than thought
Archive for 04/02/2011
Amazon drought worries scientists
04/02/2011 by admin.
In 2005 a drought in the Amazon region was so severe it was called a ‘once in a century event’.
Normally, the Amazon rain forest will absorp about 1.5 billion tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere each year, but scientists think that the drought will actually ADD 5 billion tonnes of CO2 due to trees that dies starting to rot, and also less trees to absorb the CO2.
In 2010 there was another Amazon drought, this time potentially even worse than the 2005 one. Initial estimates put the additional CO2 from the 2010 drought at 8 billion tonnes. To put this in perspective, in 2009 the US emitted about 5.4 billion tonnes of CO2.
So much for a ‘once in a century event’…
Unfortunately, these droughts could become more common with climate change, and ultimately could make the Amazon basin a net carbon emitter instead of a valuable carbon sink. More info at the BBC and Yahoo wbesites.
As more and more evidence is found to show that climate change is happening and is a real concern, we all need to do our bit for the environment. To help you get started, there are lots of easy green tips on the Green Saving Expert website. Take a look, and let all your friends, family and colleagues know. Together we can make a difference.
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