The TRC crew brings you a mashup about fire and smoke. Adam looks into headlines about the Amazon rainforest. The facts may surprise you. Pat addresses a listener’s question about whether the rainforest is the Earth’s lungs responsible for 20% of the oxygen we breathe. Darren investigates whether wood fires pose a danger to your health.
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Amazon Rainforest Fires
Global Fire Emissions Database
With Amazon Rain Forest Ablaze, Brazil Faces Global Backlash – New York Times
Fires in Brazil – Earth Observatory – Nasa
Was the Amazon Rainforest on Fire in August 2019? – Snopes
The Earth’s Lungs
Forbes: The Lungs of the World is Wrong
Scientific American: Amazon Fires Do Not Threaten Earth’s Oxygen
Fact Check – Amazon Doesn’t Produce 20% Of Earth’s Oxygen
Newsweek: Pray For Amazon Photos
Business Insider: Why Amazon Rainforest Is Important
Yadvinder Malhi: Does The Amazon Provide 20% Of Our Oxygen?
Washington Times: Fake Amazon Photos
The Conversation: Fires Aren’t Depleting Our Oxygen
Mother Jones: Stop Sharing Those Viral Amazon Fire Photos
The Atlantic: Earth Has Plenty Of Oxygen
Wood Smoke
Trees are neutral carbon on a 100year cycle.
They rot.
Ok, the easiest way to think of it is “if x consumes y tons of co2” then there must be an accumulation of coal or oil of 1/2 y tons per year.