Yet more evidence we are majorly fucked in terms of the environment.... [View all]

[Locut0s]

Global warming, water shortage crises, pollution, ocean acidification, the sixth great extinction. We all know that we have fucked this up terribly and are continuing to do so without abandon. This is just another possible piece of evidence to add to the list. I haven't read the paper in question so I'm not claiming to know how strong said evidence is but said paper claims that models show that deforestation of the Amazon past 20% of its original area may be a tipping point beyond which it will be unable to sustain itself. It would evolve into a dry Savannah or desert ecosystem. Currently the Amazon sequesters about a quarter of the world's atmospheric carbon. Meaning without it global warming would increase dramatically. But this is just one of many such possible negative feedback loops that scientists are worried about.

https://www.i4u.com/2018/02/127283/amazon-rainforest-may-have-reached-point-no-return