Question

Cimate change is causing trees to struggle to "breathe"

Answer 1

This article quotes scientist Max Lloyde saying “We found that trees in warmer, drier climates are essentially coughing instead of breathing, They are sending CO2 right back into the atmosphere far more than trees in cooler, wetter conditions.” They claim that he is an assistant research professor in geosciences from Penn State who was a part of this study and came to this conclusion. I found the study here https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2306736120 from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Here, they talk about how changing temperatures affect the rate of photorespiration. The study looks very legit. Here, the claim of them struggling to breathe isn't straightforward to prove as that is a saying used to symbolize the changing effects of CO2 recomposition through trees. The claim that they proved was that trees have a harder time processing CO2 in hot climates. Additionally, it looks like NASA has released similar information. They speak on how the changes to our ecosystem have made it more difficult for plants to perform photosynthesis. https://climate.nasa.gov/news/3057/land-ecosystems-are-becoming-less-efficient-at-absorbing-carbon-dioxide/. This information was taken from their data and then additionally quoted data from a study done by Science Magazine https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abb7772. Looks like in general multiple trusted studies have come to the same conclusion that photosynthesis is becoming more difficult due to changes in the climate. 

Comments

I think the way you approached this claim really highlights each aspect of the evidence provided in the original article, as well as the articles you provided. The evidence also being from reliable sources only helps with adding to the credibility of your argument. I liked the way you emphasized that the term "breathing" was a metaphor rather than a fact; because, it can sometimes be misleading when approaching certain claims with words that seem out of place. I also appreciated you highlighting the scientists credibility to make sure the original source was accurate.

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How would you rate the claim? It's not clear based on your fact-check. Thanks!

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This was wonderfully put and I enjoyed evidence you provided. I can truly see the effort you put into your answer. Very good job sir!