World's forests failed to curb 2023 climate emissions, study finds

SAO PAULO — Forests and other land ecosystems failed to curb climate change in 2023 as intense drought in the Amazon rainforest and record wildfires in Canada hampered their natural ability to absorb carbon dioxide, according to a study presented on Monday.  That means a record amount of carbon dioxide entered Earth's atmosphere last year, further feeding global warming, the researchers said.  Plant life helps to slow climate change by taking in huge amounts of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas driving global warming.