Earth’s Lands and Seas Lost Their Carbon Appetite in 2023

We rely on carbon sinks to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, but in 2023, these systems said “no thanks,” and 2024 doesn’t look any better.

Photo by Juan Davila on Unsplash

Part of what I love about Nature is the intricate complexities that make it mysterious and unpredictable. Human-caused climate change is starting to flex its muscles, forcing scientists to learn more about Nature’s countless entwined cycles, including how plants, soil, and oceans absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Such systems are known as carbon sinks, and many assume these sinks will reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide for us.

Yet, even carbon sinks are unpredictable and unreliable. Scientists are more than concerned that the carbon sinks we depend on will break down as the Earth warms — they’re already seeing it happen. Last year, 2023, was the hottest year ever recorded, and Earth’s carbon sinks absorbed almost no carbon, which is a big, big deal.

Our Carbon Problem

Around 10-to-12,000 years ago, at the end of the last Ice Age, Earth’s climate settled into a delicate equilibrium that allowed our ancient ancestors to develop modern agriculture, which now feeds our population of over 8 billion people. Then…