Sentences with phrase «absorb huge amounts of carbon»

Tropical rainforests absorb huge amounts of carbon dioxide, but because slash - and - burn deforestation releases so much of the greenhouse gas into the atmosphere, the tropics are a wash for carbon, according to a new study.

Tropical forests untouched by deforestation absorb huge amounts of carbon, more than all other northern hemisphere forests combined, the study found.

Over the last few centuries, the ocean has absorbed huge amounts of the carbon dioxide spewed into the atmosphere by human activities, such as burning fossil fuels.

Not exact matches

But by stopping the destruction of mature (old - growth) forests, we prevent a huge amount of carbon from going into the atmosphere, and by promoting Earth - friendly planting and management of young forests, we absorb large amounts of atmospheric carbon.

Coastal marshes absorb and store large amounts of carbon dioxide from Earth's atmosphere; they help filter out pollution in coastal waters; provide habitat for wildlife; help protect coastlines from erosion and storm surge; and can store huge amounts of floodwater, reducing the threat of flooding in low - lying coastal areas.

If forests were to die on a sufficient scale, they would not only stop absorbing carbon dioxide, they might also start to burn up or decay at such a rate that they would spew huge amounts of the gas back into the air — as is already happening in some regions.