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illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Guardian or enjoy below:
🗞️ Driving the news: More than a third of the Amazon rainforest is struggling to recover from droughts, with a new study indicating a "critical slowing down" of the forest's recovery, raising concerns over its resilience
🔭 The context: The study highlights four severe droughts in less than 20 years, exacerbated by climate change, which are straining the Amazon's ability to recover
• Historically, the forest could bounce back after dry periods, but increased drought intensity and frequency are now causing prolonged recovery times
🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The Amazon is a crucial carbon sink, helping to mitigate climate change
• Its degradation towards a potentially irreversible tipping point threatens global climate stability and biodiversity, reducing the forest's capacity to absorb carbon dioxide
⏭️ What's next: The study urges international policymakers to protect mature forests, support Indigenous and local communities, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to prevent further deterioration
• Failure to act could result in large-scale ecosystem collapse with global repercussions
💬 One quote: "It is a warning sign that a tipping point can be reached in the future if these droughts continue to increase and get more intense," said Johanna Van Passel, the paper’s lead author.
📈 One stat: 37% of the Amazon's mature vegetation is showing a trend of slowing recovery from droughts.
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