Fossils show huge carbon emissions harm forests, not ‘green the planet’
Why This Matters
Key context: <p>Study of 56m-year-old leaves counters claims from Trump administration members of ‘benefits’ of fossil fuel pollution</p><p>Adding huge quantities of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere is set to cause the Earth’s forests to wither and die rather than flourish, according to a new study that counters erroneous claims that fossil fuel pollution will green the planet.</p><p>An analysis of fossilized leaf cells from a period known as the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (or PETM), which occurred about 56m years ago, has helped reconstruct how the world’s forests responded when planet-heating gases were previously being released at a rapid rate.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/13/forests-carbon-dioxide-emissions">Continue reading...</a> This development from The Guardian highlights ongoing changes in the sector.
Study of 56m-year-old leaves counters claims from Trump administration members of ‘benefits’ of fossil fuel pollutionAdding huge quantities of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere is set to cause the Earth’s forests to wither and die rather than flourish, according to a new study that counters erroneous claims that fossil fuel pollution will green the planet.An analysis of fossilized leaf cells from a period known as the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (or PETM), which occurred about 56m years ago, has helped reconstruct how the world’s forests responded when planet-heating gases were previously being released at a rapid rate. Continue reading...
Curation & Context
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