Plants aren't absorbing carbon anymore

Question

Guardian article excerpt (claim bolded): 

This activity is one of thousands of natural processes that regulate the Earth’s climate. Together, the planet’s oceans, forests, soils and other natural carbon sinks absorb about half of all human emissions.

But as the Earth heats up, scientists are increasingly concerned that those crucial processes are breaking down.

In 2023, the hottest year ever recorded, preliminary findings by an international team of researchers show the amount of carbon absorbed by land has temporarily collapsed. The final result was that forest, plants and soil – as a net category – absorbed almost no carbon.

Comments

It seems like you spend a lot of time fact checking this and your source is valid enough. At the same time checking other articles your fact is true!

---

Great job finding a corroborating source this is a super interesting phenomenon that I was unaware of

Answer 1

The Guardian article describes the decline of carbon sinks in the world attributing to more carbon floating around in the atmosphere. According to a study done by Nature.com, “continuing deforestation and further intensification of disturbance regimes” will add to the decrease of carbon sinks.  Plants are still absorbing carbon, but it is being produced at a rate that they cannot keep up with. Both articles also describe that restoration and preservation rules are important to slow the decline, but ultimately, the only way for carbon dioxide levels to go down is for regulation on fossil fuels. Therefore, The Guardian article is telling the truth, but the claim that plants are not absorbing carbon anymore is an exaggeration. 

Answer 2

This claim is misleading and exaggerated, but holds some truth and substance behind the statement. The claim states that the forest, plants and soil, as a net category, absorbed almost no carbon. It is true that due to environmental factors of climate change such as droughts and wildfires, 2023 was a very poor year when it came to extracting carbon emissions through wildlife like the forest and plants. However, it is inaccurate to say that "plants aren't absorbing carbon anymore" because if that were true, humans would not be able to survive with such high carbon footprint. Plants are still absorbing carbon, but at a much lower rate and amount than previous years. 

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/oct/14/nature-carbon-sink-collapse-global-heating-models-emissions-targets-evidence-aoe

https://climate.nasa.gov/news/3057/land-ecosystems-are-becoming-less-efficient-at-absorbing-carbon-dioxide/

Answer 3

The article's claim suggests that plants have been absorbing less oxygen and this is a serious step in the negative direction for climate change. Patrick Greenfield, a well-credited journalist, talks about an experiment done by "an international team of researchers" that has found another result of the rising climate crisis: plants are not able to absorb more carbon. The researchers who performed the study, that this article is based on, have a lot of experience in this field and their research is backed by other trustworthy sources. The U.S. Energy Information Administration prepared a similar study and found the same results. The information in this article is very relevant as well-known organizations like NASA are creating studies in similar fields, all informing the public about fast arriving consequences of climate change. This article is supported by accurate information, well-established researchers, and relevant information, leading me to conclude that it is true.

Answer 4

to figure out if this claim is true, i used a quote from one of your sources "For the algae-eating zooplankton, melting sea ice is exposing them to more sunlight – a shift scientists say could keep them in the depths for longer, disrupting the vertical migration that stores carbon on the ocean floor." which comes from the website https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-023-01779-1. This website uses analyses and models made by scientists to support their claim, so it can be trusted. the guardien.com source you listed uses other trusted websites and papers like https://www.fs.usda.gov/nrs/pubs/jrnl/2024/nrs_2024_pan_001.pdf, which is government affiliated. although your original claim is true, it is a little it exaggerated given that there are still some plants that can produce CO2

Answer 5

In the article, “Trees and land absorbed almost no CO2 last year. Is nature’s carbon sink failing?” Patrick Greenfield argues that global carbon sinks are decreasing absorption due to the rapid escalation of global warming. I find this claim to be true and overall trustworthy.

This piece was posted by The Guardian, an esteemed, left-leaning publication known for its investigative journalism and international news coverage. Greenfield, the author, is a biodiversity and climate crisis reporter who graduated from Yale University as a Yale Journalism Scholar. His experience and education increase the credibility of the article.

Greenfield cites multiple scientific findings from various scholarly journals to corroborate his claim. In September 2023, the Shanghai Maritime University published a study on sea research concluding that high-temperature heat waves have a “negative impact on Marine life and the weakening of carbon sink function.” Additionally, in July 2024, the USDA Forest Service studied, “ongoing deforestation and degradation, which are the primary causes of the declining carbon sink.” This source emphasized the need for “protecting the large carbon stocks” from harmful human activities.

The article acknowledges the limitations of predictive models, explaining that they don’t consider sudden natural disasters, like wildfires. Greenfield aims to avoid overstated conclusions from recent findings, overall supporting transparency and trustworthiness. All in all, this piece consults multiple peer-reviewed scientific journals, cites environmental research from professionals, and promotes an educational perspective of the climate crisis for readers.

Answer 6

After reading this artcile and fact-checking other resources and sources related to it. This claim is in fact true. An article by Patrick Greenfield called Scientists Alarmed by Signs of Collapse in Earth’s Natural Carbon Sinks , states how plants absorb CO2 everyday and typically half of human emissions. But with last year (2023) being the world’s hottest year a lot of researchers plants absorbing less CO2. Forest plants almost absorbed no carbon  in this preliminary study. Therefore this claim is indeed true and has been backed up with real studies.

Answer 7

The claim states that in 2023, the hottest year ever recorded, the amount of carbon absorbed by land temporarily collapsed, with forests, plants, and soil absorbing almost no carbon. This is a significant assertion about the state of natural carbon sinks. 

• The Guardian: The Guardian is a well-established and respected news organization with a strong track record in environmental journalism. The article is authored by Patrick Greenfield, a known environmental reporter.
• Mother Jones: This is a nonprofit news organization that focuses on investigative journalism. The article in question is part of a collaboration with The Guardian, lending further credibility.
• Futurism: This outlet covers scientific and technological advancements and has reported on the same findings, supporting the claim’s validity.

The claim appears to be well-supported by multiple reputable sources. The Guardian article, along with corroborating reports from Mother Jones and Futurism, provides a strong basis for the assertion that natural carbon sinks experienced a significant decline in carbon absorption in 2023.